Bangladesh emerges as food surplus nation : Hasan

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Chattogram Bureau :
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Friday said Bangladesh is not now the country of food scarcity rather it has already emerged as a food surplus nation.
The minister said the government has decided to export ten to fifteen lakh tonnes of food this year.
The government of Sheikh Hasina first came to the state power in 1996 and the country attained autarky in food in 1999,” the minister told in Iftar party at engineers’ institution auditorium in the port city here on Sunday . .
The country, he said, again became food scarcity one when BNP came to power in 2001 and the then finance minister Saifur Rahman commented that the village people of Bangladesh consume huge rice. “With such comment he (Saifur) absolutely rebuked the village people,” the information minister said, adding that the finance minister also advised the people to eat potato and cabbage.
Hasan Mahmud, also publication and publicity secretary of Awami League, said Saifur Rahman also commented there will be no foreign aids in the country if the country attains autarky in food. With this BNP wanted to turn the country a beggar one, he added.
The minister urged the leaders and activities of Jubo League to stand by the common masses for bringing Awami League to state power again. JL stood beside Bangabandhu as vanguard and worked immensely during the war ravaged country in 1971, he added.
The information minister called upon the JL leaders and workers to remain alert so that none is annoyed and hurt with their behaviors. “The economic growth during the political change over in 1975 was 7.4 percent but the country under the leadership of Bangabandhu daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to fulfill the dreams of Father of the Nation as the country is marching forward with indomitable speed,” he added.
Organized by Chattogram North District Jubo League (JL), the Iftar and Doa Mahfil was presided over by North District President Mizanur Rahman. Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railway ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury, MP, General Secretary of AL North District MA Salam, JL leaders Mohamad Salim Uddin, Monzurul Islam, Farid Mahmud, S M Al Mamun and SM Rashedul Islam, among others, spoke on the occasion.
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