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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked businessmen to prioritise Bangladesh and countrymen before profits.
“There’s no Hawa Bhaban and development wing at PMO to share your profits with,” she said at a meeting with importers and exporters of consumer goods, reports UNB.
She said that in the last 14 years, during the Awami League rule, businessmen of the country ran their businesses and made profits without hindrance.
She said that at present, businessmen of the country are free from the ‘pain of Hawa Bhaban and development wing of the PMO.’
“You are not suffering that now. You have to admit that,” she said.
Hasina observed that in the past, the lion's share of profits went to Hawa Bhaban and PMO’s so-called development wing.
“…Keep that in mind, and consider the country and its people (first),” she said.
The PM also said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the government provided stimulus packages to businessmen to run their businesses smoothly, even though they did not ask for that.
She said that a team was formed through her initiative, and it operated well in running the wheels of the economy.
She also recalled that during the pandemic, many factories and industries in developed countries shut down.
“We said that we will not allow our factories and industries to close down, we have to continue… I ensured workers’ wages, and gave the stimulus packages,” she said.
The PM said that when the opposition is holding anti-government protests on the streets some businessmen become anxious, but there are some others who have started looking for opportunities how to make profits by opening Hawa Bhaban again.
“Don't know why, suddenly they (businessmen) have started singing a synchronised tune that there is lack of this or that, and this cannot be done or that cannot take place,” she said.
She said that the government so far managed to keep inflation under control, mentioning that in England the rate of inflation has jumped to 40 per cent.
She also said that the whole world is suffering from the crisis.
The PM said that the government is importing LNG at higher prices and providing it at a cheaper rate to businessmen.
“The crisis is not originated in Bangladesh, it is an international crisis, we must keep that in our mind,” she said.
Hasina said that to procure soybean and sugar, a team led by the Commerce Secretary will go to Brazil to negotiate directly for the TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh).
“They (Brazil) want to sell directly, and we have to procure those (sugar and soybean) directly, no other means they will allow, it is their system,” she said adding that this system has to be followed to procure items from there.
Talking about foreign currency reserves, she said that during the COVID-19 pandemic people could not travel overseas resulting in high deposits of foreign currency.
She also said that expatriate Bangladeshis send all their money through banking channels.
“We did not have any expenditure, as a result, the reserve reached $48 billion,” she said.
The Prime Minister said that when travel and other business activities resumed and imports started, naturally the expenditure increased.
“The import expenditures were made for capital machinery. Whenever those (machinery) will be used we will surely get our return…this is the reality,” she said.
Regarding food security, she said that the government is working round the clock to increase food production in the country.
The PM mentioned that after the Russia-Ukraine war began she warned of the famine-like situation in the world.
“What I had told then, everyone is telling that now,” she said.
She also said that she repeatedly asked everyone to utilise their lands to produce something. “As per my directives, Army, BGB, police and other agencies started production,” she added.
She said that she always talks about whatever she apprehends and that there is nothing to hide.
“People voted us to take office, if they do not vote we will not be in power,” she said.
Talking about the electricity and load-shedding situation, she said that European countries are suffering from an energy crisis.
“England has increased electricity prices by up to 80 per cent,” she said.
She also said that the United States, which never used its oil reserves, started using it for the first time.
“We all have to understand the root of the crisis,” she said.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus, PMO Senior Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Jashim Uddin also attended the meeting.