OMS on despite hartal

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com) ? Unlike the previous hartal days, the open market sale (OMS) of rice continues in the city despite shutdown, allowing the low-income people to buy it at fair prices.

Ahmed Hossain, the DG of food directorate, told bdnews24.com, "Pressure mounts on us in case of disruption in the OMS programme. So, we resumed the operation [Sunday]. And it'll continue during hartal in the future, too."

bdnews24.com ran a report last week on the miseries of commoners in the city due to suspension of the OMS programme during hartal.

Twelve political parties, mostly Islamist, enforced the 30-hour non-stop shutdown demanding that 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Allah' be restored in the constitution and secularism be dropped.

The main opposition BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami extended their support to the hartal programme.

BNP and its allies enforced a 48-hour non-stop shutdown from Wednesday.

Under the OMS programme, food directorate sends out 150 trucks across the city five days a week to sell rice among the poor at subsidised rates. Some trucks also sell flour alongside rice.

A person can buy maximum five kgs of rice a day at Tk 24 a kg and three kgs of flour at Tk 20 per kg. The programme runs from 9am to 5pm.

Deputy-inspector of the directorate Mostafa Kamal told bdnews24.com at Naya Bazar that people started gathering in queues after 10:30am. "Some of them may return home without rice due to the pressure."

Majibur Rahman, a rickshaw-puller, who was in a queue in front of Bangla College at Mirpur, said he rushed to the spot when he came to know that the OMS programme.

"We find it difficult to mange food for our family members when we can't buy rice at a lower price," he added.

The poor people were seen in long queues at Mirpur Mazar, Shewrapara bus stand, Kalyanpur Natun Bazar, Kazipara bus stand and near Sony Cinema Hall.

OMS dealer Zakir Hossain said they were instructed on Saturday night to continue the programme during the shutdown.

"We face greater crowd when there is disruption in the OMS programme," he told bdnews24.com.

bdnews24.com/si/ra/pks/sam/1745h

View the original article here