Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman yesterday said the gov-ernment has taken an initiative to increase its food grain storage capacity to 34 lakh tonnes by 2030 to strengthen the country’s future food security and enhance crop storage capacity.
He disclosed this information at a regular weekly press briefing held at the Press Information Depart-ment (PID) here.
During the briefing, the adviser highlighted significant decisions and progress made by different gov-ernment ministries, including food, railways, commerce, energy and power, sports, and environment ministries.
Presenting data from the food ministry, he said the country’s exiting food grain stock is at a satisfactory level, while the total storage capacity of facilities under the Directorate General of Food, including CSDs, LSDs, silos and godowns, stands at 24.09 lakh tonnes.
However, he said, due to dilapidation, old infrastructure, and riverbank erosion, godowns with a capaci-ty of about 92,000 tonnes cannot currently be utilised effectively.
Initiatives have been taken to restore these godowns to a usable state through rapid renovation and re-pair.
Dr Zahed informed the briefing that a special meeting was recently held with all deputy commissioners (DCs) across the country to prevent artificial shortages of LPG cylinders and ensure sales at fixed prices.
Strict directives were issued to the DCs to prepare lists of distributors and dealers in their respective dis-tricts, ensure proper gas supply channels, and take immediate legal action upon identifying any irregular-ities, he said.
In his written statement, the information adviser said the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Pro-tection, under the Ministry of Commerce, conducted 368 drives nationwide during the first 11 days of October to check the prices of essential commodities and LPG cylinders.
A total of Taka 71 lakh in fines was imposed on 728 establishments for offenses detrimental to consumer interests during this period, he said.
Dr Zahed said Geographical Indication (GI) registration has been secured for 10 handloom products in favour of the Bangladesh Handloom Board, aimed at protecting traditional textiles and the handloom industry.
The products are: Dhakai Muslin, Dhakai Phuti Karpas, Sylhet’s Manipuri Saree, Mirpur’s Katan Saree, Cumilla’s Khadi, Sirajganj’s Gamcha, Sirajganj’s Lungi, Kumarkhali’s bedsheets, Phuti Karpas cotton seeds and plants, and Kaliganj’s towels, he added.
Highlighting the success at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the adviser said as a major achievement for the Ministry of Science and Technology, ‘criticality’ was successfully attained in the Unit-1 reactor of the plant at 3:34 pm on October 11, 2026.
This marks the commencement of a self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction, and the unit will soon begin supplying electricity to the national grid in phases, he said.
