Poor people will get food under VGF plan during Ramadan

Talha Bin Habib

The government has decided to provide food to the poor under Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme during the upcoming month of Ramadan, officials said.

Apart from the ongoing programme of Open Market Sales (OMS) of rice and ata (flour) in the capital, the food assistance through VGF will be provided to the vulnerable people at all the unions of the country, said a high official of the Directorate General of Food.

"We are going to provide rice to the VGF card holders at all union levels during the Ramadan so that the poor people could not suffer for food," Director General (DG) of the Directorate General of Food Mr Ahmad Hossain Khan told the FE Saturday.

Under the VGF programme food is provided to low income and other vulnerable groups who cannot meet basic needs for survival due to natural disasters or socio-economic conditions, such as old age, illness and disease.

Mr Khan said that there are about 1,000 VGF card holders at every union of the country who are entitled to receive rice under the government's food security programme.

"A card holder from each family will get rice between 15 and 20 kgs before the Eid-ul- Fitr," he mentioned.

He said that, apart from the VGF programme, the government is also considering to provide rice and ata (flour) to the fair price card holders during the holy month

The DG of the Directorate General of Food has said as part of government's social safety net programme, about 200 trucks are engaged in selling rice and ata (flour) under OMS programme at different areas in the capital.

Under the programme, a person could purchase five kgs of rice and five kgs of ata (flour) at a time. The price of per kg rice is Tk 24 while per kg ata (flour) is Tk 20.

Asked whether the government has any plan to expand the ongoing OMS programme in different areas of the country following the huge responses from the lower income group of the people during the month of fasting, he said, "The matter depends on price stability of rice and ata (flour). If price soars in the retail market then the government will increase the number of trucks for selling rice and ata (flour) in different areas of the country during the Ramadan".

He said that the government has taken up various safety net programmes to ensure social security of the poor people that include Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF), Open Market Sales (OMS), Cash for Work (CFW), Food for Work (FFW), Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) and Gratuitous Relief (GR).

Besides, people over 65 years and unable to work or do not have family support receive allowances through a programme introduced by the government.

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AL betrays people by adding Secularism, Bismillah: BNP

BNP leaders including its Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir (isnset) seen at a meeting in the city Saturday. ? Banglar Chokh Photo Awami League (AL) has betrayed the people by reincorporating 'secularism' alongside 'Bismillah' and Islam as state religion in the constitution, the opposition BNP has alleged.

BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said this at a views-exchange meeting organised by the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Front at city's Naya Paltan Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.

"The country's existence is at stake. AL has betrayed the people by adding secularism alongside Bismillah and Islam to the constitution," the BNP leader said.

"Secularism can't coexist with Bismillah and Islam as state religion. They (govt) think that people are fools," he said.

With the 15th amendment to the constitution, two fundamental principles of the 1972 charter - secularism and socialism - have been restored.

BNP standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy said, "Hindus in BNP are working with difficulties though it is a secular party. This has to be resolved. Hindus have to be given a chance to work in the party."

Mentioning the names of several Hindu leaders of the party, Goyeshwar said, "Though there are confusions over our party nomination in the next general election, we're and will be with BNP. Where shall we go? Because we think BNP is not a party of Muslims only, it's of all from all religions."

Harprasad Bagchi said, "We would like to work impartially. AL is no exception. They've betrayed us in the name of secularism. They allured us with the Vested Property Law."

In reply, Fakhrul said, "No-one can be blamed. You'll have to be organised and fight to get leadership."

"BNP is not a fundamentalist party. There is no room for communalism in the party," he added.

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BNP to stand by victims, Khaleda tells Mirsarai people

Dhaka: Opposition chief whip Joynal Abdin Farroque, severely beaten by police during hartal hours on Wednesday, being taken for medical treatment by his party colleagues. -Photo: Zahiduddin Ahmed Saimon See details

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Govt fooling people on PSC: oil-gas body

Dhaka, June 28 (bdnews24.com)?The government is misguiding people about the production-sharing contract it signed with US company ConocoPhillips on gas exploration from two deep-sea blocks, a citizens' platform has alleged.

At a discussion in the city on Friday, leaders of the National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources, Power and Ports also questioned the government decision to lift ban on export of LNG, or liquefied natural gas.

They said the government had signed the deal with ConocoPhillips to export all gas from the two deep-sea blocks.

The committee organised the discussion on 'Why the agreement signed with ConocoPhillips on the exploration of oil-gas from the Bay of Bengal is contrary to the national interest' at Mukti Bhaban in Naya Paltan.

The government signed the deal with the US firm on June 16, awarding exploration of gas from two deep-sea blocks.

The company won deep-sea blocks DS-08-10 and -11 at an offshore block bidding floated by Petrobangla in 2008. The PSC allows exploration of the undisputed part of the blocks and that covers an area of 5,158 square kilometres.

The blocks are located about 280 kilometres from the port city of Chittagong.

The committee has been opposing signing of the agreement since beginning. It has also called a half-day general strike in Dhaka for July 3 in a bid to push the government to rescind the agreement.

Presenting the keynote paper, Dhaka University economics professor M M Akash questioned the motive behind the recent approval of the National Export Policy, exempting LNG from the list of export ban items.

Member secretary of the committee professor Anu Muhammad said the government was deceiving people by saying that the deal was signed in national interest.

Committee convenor Sheikh Mohammad Shahidullah urged all to make its July 3 hartal a success.

Marine expert Nur Mohammad, water expert M Enamul Haque, professor Akmal Hossain of international relations department of Dhaka University, professor Naseem Akhter Hussain of government and politics department of Jahangirnagar University and anthropologist Rehnuma Ahmed also addressed at the discussion.

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal general secretary Khalekuzzaman and Ganasanghati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, among others, were also present.

bdnews24.com/mmr/skb/sht/bd/1706h

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People to decide who will run the country: PM

Nationwide

Author / Source : Independent Online/UNB

Dhaka: Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the countrymen will settle the question of who will govern the country.

She made the remark when a nine-member joint delegation led by Birk Niebel, German minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, and Andris Piebalgs, European commissioner for Development, called on her at the PM’s office in the morning.

The PM said she and her party always believe in people’s welfare and reiterated her government’s strong commitment to root out corruption and militancy from Bangladesh.

Hasina, also the president of Awami League, said the government would never allow using the soil of Bangladesh for terrorist activities.

“We won’t allow any evil forces to use even an inch of our land for terrorism and militancy,” PM was quoted by her Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad as saying.

“Nothing can keep me from working for the people’s economic emancipation. I’ve dedicated my life for the wellbeing of the people.
I work only for them,” she said.

After taking office, the present government through hectic efforts has been able to free the nation from such a stigma, the premier said.

She said the government is working very hard to ensure national food security and protect the nation from the disastrous impacts of the climate change.

The PM also informed the European delegation of the government activities to dredge the rivers in the country to restore their navigability.

On development activities, the prime minister said the European Union and its member countries can provide funds to the Bangladesh government for launching integrated programs for the development of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

She told the delegation about the establishment of Asian University for Women in Chittagong and the plan on setting up a full-fledged university in Rangamati for ensuring higher education facilities for the hill tracts people.

The premier also informed the delegation of the various facilities provided by the government for flourishing the private sector in the country.

Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and German Ambassador in Dhaka Holger Michael were present

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