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PM foresees no crisis of consumer goods

UNB . Dhaka
25 Nov 2022 19:29:45 | Update: 25 Nov 2022 21:10:24
PM foresees no crisis of consumer goods
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks at the 5th National Conference of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad in Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan on November 25, 2022 — BSS Photo

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday assured the people that there will not be any crisis of consumer goods in the country.

“There will be no problem regarding consumer goods. We have started importing (goods) from Ukraine and Russia as well,” she said.

The premier was addressing the 5th National Conference of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (Swachip), a pro-Awami League professional body of physicians, in the city’s historic Suhrawardy Udyan.

She said though there is a problem with overpayment of dollars due to sanctions (on Russia), the government is taking steps for an alternative (payment) system. 

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh still has enough reserves to meet up the import expenditures for five months.

“Still we have the reserves to meet the import expenditures of five months, not three months,” she said.

Coming down heavily on the critics of the government on the reserves issue, she said now all have become experts on the reserve and economy.

She said the reserves increased to some $48 billion during the Covid-19 restrictions, which was only above $5 billion in 2009.

She said it had to spend huge money from the reserves to procure Covid-19 vaccines, testing kits and other related materials to fight the pandemic. Now the government needs to import edible oil, wheat and other consumer goods at high prices following the war and economic sanctions, she added.

The prime minister said they have been taking proper steps to ensure consumer goods and stood beside the people. “The reserves have declined not only in our country but also in many countries of the world,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said now a rumour is being spread that there is no money in banks and the clients would not get back their deposits.

She said many people keep money in houses withdrawing it from the banks due to this rumour. “To keep money in the houses creates scope for thieves, doesn’t it?... Now it is up to the money owners whether they would keep it in the banks or give it to the hands of the thieves,” she added.

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