Home ›› 28 Feb 2023 ›› Front
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday ordered the authority concerned to conduct Open Market Sale (OMS) through cards with a view to curbing irregularities.
The premier gave the order at a weekly cabinet meeting, said Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain at a press briefing held at the secretariat after the meeting.
He also said the prime minister has given a decision in this regard.
“The OMS that we are conducting, on behalf of the government, is ongoing. But some lacking in its management has come to the attention of the government. We face the experience while working in this regard,” he added.
The cabinet secretary said the Prime Minister has given instructions to improve the management of OMS.
“Now one crore families are getting assistance through TCB cards. Like TCB, OMS essentials should also be given through the card system so that the people don’t have to stay crowded unnecessarily,” he quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
There should be discipline among them. Therefore, she gave instructions to give it through the cards. Now we will do the rest of the work, he said.
When asked how the cards will be provided and who will get them, Mahbub Hossain said, they will take decision on it after holding meeting with the ministry (food ministry).
When asked about the type of mismanagement, he said that various types of mismanagement might have been brought to the attention of the Prime Minister. That is why she gave the instructions.
Currently, the government is selling rice and flour to the poor people through OMS dealers across the country, including Dhaka. A person can buy a maximum of 5 kg of rice and 3 kg of flour. Rice is sold at Tk30 per kg and flour at Tk24 per kg.
To alleviate people’s suffering, rice and flour are being sold to the people at subsidised prices through the OMS sales centres under the food programme of the government’s Directorate General of Food. But it is completely inadequate compared to the demand, say consumers.
Besides, customers have to wait in queues for hours to get rice and flour. After a long wait, many people have to return home empty-handed.
Bangladeshis can hold dual citizenship in 44 more countries
The cabinet also gave approval for the dual citizenship of Bangladeshis in 44 more countries. With these, Bangladeshi nationals will now get dual citizenship in 101 countries.
The cabinet has approved the proposal to issue an SRO (Statutory Regulatory Order) on providing dual citizenship benefits to Bangladeshis holding citizenship in different countries.
The cabinet secretary said previously Bangladeshis could hold dual citizenship in 57 countries. Now 44 more countries have been added to the list.
The newly added countries are: Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Sudan, Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda, Burundi, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Libya, Congo, Liberia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambia, Botswana, Mauritius of Africa; Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay, Guyana of South America; Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bahama, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Saint Vincent and Grenadine, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis of the Caribbean region; and Fiji of Oceania.
