Price hike of essentials: Take actions against hoarders

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government is doing its best to control prices of daily essentials amid the high global inflation rate.

She also directed the authorities concerned to take proper actions against the hoarders of essential items and those who play with their prices.

Hasina said this while inaugurating 40 new fire stations in different upazilas. She joined the event at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters in the city's Fulbaria through a videoconference from the Gono Bhaban.

The premier said the pandemic has caused economic recession throughout the world, deepened by the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.

There is a food crisis even in many developed countries and the inflation rate went up to 17 percent in some places. The inflation rate is 7-9 percent in many European countries, she added.

Mentioning that the difficulties to import some goods due to the ongoing war, the PM asked the people not to keep an inch of land uncultivated and ensure the optimum use of the soil for food autarky.

Hasina asked the authorities of development work -- architects, engineers or project planners of different ministries -- to keep the provision of fire-fighting facilities in every development project.

She also called for ensuring wide roads for smooth movement of fire service vehicles and water sources at nearby places.

"During designing a project, everyone has to keep one thing in mind that it'll have to ensure modern fire extinguishing systems in the institutions and the availability of water for firefighting."

The PM also asked to protect waterbodies and conserve rainwater in the project sites or multi-storey structures.

Noting that there is the capacity to fight fire in the highest 20-storey structure in the country, Hasina said some might have plans to construct 30-storey buildings or 40-storey buildings or even 100-storey skyscrapers.

In this regard, she asked them to consider the firefighting capacity before taking any plan for construction of the high-rise buildings.

The PM asked the fire service department to ensure training and rehearsal over fire extinguishing systems and on what to do in case of fire in educational institutions, mills and factories.

Hasina said the government has decided to set up a fire service station in every upazila.

Mentioning there are now 456 fire service stations in the country, she said the construction of 55 more stations would be completed by June next.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Secretary of Security Services Division Mokabbir Hossain and Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Department Maj Gen Sazzad Hussain spoke at the function.