ZCZC
BSS-11
PM-FOOD-SEMINAR-2 LAST DHAKA
Briefly spelling out of the measures taken by her government to face the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic on the livelihoods and economy, the Prime Minister said, “We have been working with a special focus to make sure that the people won’t suffer amid the coronavirus outbreak.”
She said the government has allocated Taka 9,500 crore in agriculture mainly to inspire the farmers to keep continuing their efforts in producing foods so that no scarcity of food is surfaced in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She added that her government has given stimulus packages of Tk 5,000 for agriculture for the coronavirus period to keep the food production uninterrupted.
The premier once again called upon all to bring every inch of land under cultivation to ensure food security as many countries in the world might face food shortage.
“There is a possibility of famine as the world got stuck due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But Bangladesh must not be affected by it and its people would not suffer from it,” she said.
The Prime Minister said her government has been working to ensure nutrition for all alongside ensuring food security to build a healthy nation.
Referring to a speech of the Father of the Nation, she said Bangabandhu had called upon the farmers to engage themselves in work to ensure food security.
Bangabandhu had allocated Tk 101 crore out of Tk 500 crore in agriculture for ensuring food security for all, she recalled.
Following the footprints of the Father of the Nation, the premier said her government also attached priority to agriculture since assuming office in 1996 and has been taking measures accordingly to increase food production so the country never suffers from food crisis.
Going down the memory lane, Sheikh Hasina said that the country had food deficiency of 24 lakh metric tonnes when the Awami League came to power in 1996, but the country witnessed a surplus food production of 26 lakh metric tonnes when her government completed its five-year tenure.
To keep moving the wheels of the country’s economy, the premier said, the government has given stimulus packages in every sector worth Tk 112,633 crore which is four percent of the GDP.
“We have been working tirelessly to give the people a good living even during the pandemic,” she continued.
Mentioning that the country has faced cyclone and flood amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister said, “The people of Bangladesh is very brave and they have the ability to face any situation.”
The premier greeted the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) on its winning Nobel peace prize and the FAO on its 75th founding anniversary.
BSS/AHJ/GA/1538 hrs