USD crisis to go away by January, Salman hopes

Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman on Saturday expressed the hope that the crisis of foreign currency like US dollars would go away within January next year.

“A crisis has been created across the globe and no one knows to what extent it will stretch,” he told the media after inaugurating the 1000th sub-branch of IFIC Bank as the chief guest in Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur.

“However, Bangladesh will not fall under any such crisis due to the farsighted thoughts and planning from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”

Salman said there would also be no such problem with importing essential items ahead of the month of Ramadan. “But, the price of US dollars has increased in the global market and it has also put an impact on the local market.”

“There is nothing to worry about regarding the foreign exchange reserves of the country. The country has reserves of $26 billion including IMF loans, which will last 6 months,” Salman F Rahman also said.

He mentioned that the government has been supporting one crore families through the family cards of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and thus helping some five-crore people.

He said that Meherpur is an agriculture-based district with the production of a variety of crops while some three to four crops are being cultivated here on the same land.

Referring to the prime minister’s directives of not building industries utilising the farmland, Salman said it is not always necessary to mushroom industries here and there, rather it should be done in a planned way.

Speaking on the occasion as the special guest, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said that Meherpur would grab the first position in the country in terms of exporting fruits and crops.

Presided over by IFIC Bank Deputy General Manager Syed Monsur Mostafa, Meherpur Zila Parishad Chairman Abdus Salam, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Monsur Alam Khan, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Rafiul Alam, Meherpur district Awami League General Secretary and Gangni upazila Chairman MA Khaleque, Sadar upazila Chairman Yearul Islam, Mujibnagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Animesh Biswas and other officials were present.