Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman said the government has started investigating reasons behind the high prices of essentials in the country for taking appropriate steps against unscrupulous traders.
He said this while talking to reporters at his ministry at the Secretariat on Wednesday. The government is worried about the rising prices, despite the country has good production and storage of food.
"The reason behind the high price is being investigated. Why these are beyond the purchasing power of people will be investigated and we will take proper action," the minister said.
Mentioning that Bangladesh is self-sufficient in fish and livestock, he said, "There is no dependence on imports for the one crore sacrificial animals during Eid-ul-Azha each year. As a result, border killings have been reduced. Further efforts are now needed in the dairy sector."
The Minister Abdur Rahman said fish, meat, and eggs will be sold at affordable prices a week before the start of Ramadan for low-income people.
The sale will start a few days before Ramadan and will continue in slum areas and areas of low-income people, said the minister.
The trend of catching mother hilsa and jatka has been banned within a certain period, he said.
"We have benefited from that. This has to continue. I will request the Prime Minister to increase the incentives given to the fishermen. So by increasing their incentives, the fishing ban period can be extended a little more," he added.
"Ahead of Ramadan, the government will provide subsidies to deliver these products to the low-income people at affordable prices," he said.
