Khaleda Zia will have to explain price hike during her rule, says PM Sheikh Hasina

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has said the opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, will have to explain why prices of essentials went beyond the reach of the common people during the BNP-Jamaat rule.

'When we took office in 1996, price of rice was Tk 25 and we had reduced the price to Tk 10 per kg. When we took office this time, we found price of rice at Tk 45. The opposition leader will have to answer for this price hike,' she said.

Hasina was speaking at a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, arranged by the  Awami League marking the 91^st birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujib and National Children Day.

The prime minister said her government had been able to reduce the price of rice and other essentials. 'This time, initially we've reduced the price of rice to Tk 18, but later the price has to be increased only to ensure fair price to the farmers.'

About the latest hike in rice price, she said coarse rice was now being sold in the market at Tk 32-34 per kg while the government was providing rice to lower and middle income people at Tk 24 through open market sale.

'So, it is not correct that the government could not reduce the price of rice.'

Hasina said the government would not let people to suffer from price hike of essentials. 'At all cost, we'll ensure easy life for the people.'

She said Bangladesh was still suffering from poverty and illiteracy, as anti-liberation forces had ruled the country for many years. 'War criminals, military dictators, bribe and interest mongers have destroyed the spirit of the 1971 liberation war.'

The prime minister urged the people to devote themselves to building Bangladesh as a modern country with the spirit of 1971 liberation war and ideology of  Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She said Mujib had been successful to give the people independence and sovereignty, but the defeated forces and their associates did not allow Mujib to achieve national economic emancipation.

'They (defeated forces) wanted to destroy the Bengali nation by killing the Father of the Nation and his family members.'

Hasina said 'military dictator' Ziaur Rahman grabbed the state power following the killing of Sheikh Mujib  and had rehabilitated his killers.

Read the original story on the daily New Age