Shawdesh Desk:

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that had Awami League not been in power now there would have been fighting on the street for the essential commodities.

“Since the Awami League government is in power it has been possible to control (prices of essentials) to some extent,” she said adding, “If anyone else was in power there would have been fighting on the street.”

She said this while delivering her introductory speech at the National Economic Council (NEC) held to the approve annual development programme (ADP) for 2022-23 fiscal.

The meeting was held at NEC auditorium while the premier joined virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

Talking about the recent price hike of essentials, she said that COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war have put pressure on global economy.

She mentioned that there are some countries in Europe where prices of essentials have been hiked from 17 per cent to 50 per cent.

Hasina said scarcity of edible oil is going on in countries like Germany and the UK, where restrictions have been imposed on  buying edible oil more than one littre at a time.

The inflation, she said, has hit the US at more than 8 per cent and it will reach to ten per cent.

She mentioned that the whole world is suffering from this.

“The impact of these will be visible also on us. The prices of imported items have been increased. Cost of transportation (vessel rent) has been increased, production decreased where the war is going on.”

She again urged the people to maintain austerity and control in using everything.

“If they do that they might not face any problem,” she observed. She added that “The prices of essentials (at home) have increased due to the international factors and this has to be conveyed to the people.”

She said that her government is trying to increase the production using the country’s fertile land to meet the domestic demands.

“For that purpose I called upon all not to leave a single inch of land without cultivation. We will produce our own food for us and  help others. We have to motive people that way,” she said.