Budget has no impact in the market, public concerns about prices



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Raw market. Photo: Barta24.com

Raw market. Photo: Barta24.com

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The National Parliament passed the budget for the new financial year (2024-25) on Sunday (June 30). The budget changed the duty rates on some goods and services to reduce inflation. There was supposed to be a change in the prices of these things after the budget was passed. But on the first day of the implementation of the budget, there was no effect of reducing the prices of those products.

Especially in this year's budget, the prices of those products, including rice, edible oil, sugar, milk powder, chocolate, etc., on which the duty has been withdrawn, have not yet been affected. The sale is going on at the previous price.

According to traders, there will be no impact on prices until new products are introduced in the market. And the common people say that if the price of the product decreases in the budget, it takes time to implement it, if the price increases, the traders implement it the next day.

Going to the market physically, it can be seen that the prices of all kinds of daily products in the market of the capital are still rising. The lower and middle class have no comfort in this high-priced market. Fish-meat, vegetables are not available to common people.

Anik Debnath works in a private bank. He has come to the Karwan bazar to do the weekly market. He told Barta24.com that if the price of goods increases in this country, it does not decrease. Government people don't come to the market anymore, how will they see the condition of the market. After the budget was passed yesterday, I wonder if my salary will increase. It will not increase.

The prices of daily necessities are skyrocketing. Especially the prices of potatoes, onions and eggs are high. Meanwhile, the price of vegetables has also increased depending on the quality. Potatoes are being sold at Tk. 60 per kg in this market. The price of onion has exceeded Tk. 100. Local onion is selling at Tk. 95 to Tk. 110 and Indian onion is selling at the same price.

Papaya is being sold at Tk. 50, Borbati is being sold at Tk. 100, Carrot is at Tk. 120 and Cucumber is being sold at Tk. 80. Apart from that, saffron is being sold at Tk. 50, gourd is selling at Tk. 60 per kg, brinjal is being sold at Tk. 60 to Tk. 80 depending on the quality.

Nazirshail rice Tk. 75 to Tk. 80 per kg, BR-28 Tk. 55 to Tk. 57. Paijamas are being sold at Tk. 54 to Tk. 56, miniket rice at Tk. 68 to Tk. 70. Coarse rice is being sold at Tk. 48 per kg. Milk powder is being sold at the previous price.

Iqbal Hossain, a grocery shopkeeper in Karwan Bazar, told Barta24.com that the budget will reduce the price of food products. If reduces is as much a relief to the buyer as it is to the seller. But so far the companies have not given new products. Then I will understand how much the price has decreased.

Vegetable seller Nuruzzaman told Barta24.com that the market is the same as before. Although the budget was passed on Sunday, there is no impact on today's market.

Shafiqul Islam, a private employee, lost his temper because the price of daily commodities was not reduced in the budget. He told Barta24.com that not only the prices of daily commodities have increased in the market. Everything from house rent to water and electricity bills has gone up. Only our salary did not increase.

Shafiqul complains that the prices are increased for the sake of the world market, but when the prices in other countries of the world are reduced, the prices of things that have increased once do not decrease in our country.

When asked whether the budget had any effect on the vegetable market, the seller Abdul Mannan said that there was no effect on the vegetable market after the budget was passed. If something is imported then the price goes down. The price of vegetables fluctuates daily because it is a raw material.

Parliament passed a budget of Tk. 7 lakh 97 thousand crore yesterday. This year's revenue target has been fixed at Tk. 5 lakh 41 thousand crores. And the deficit has been estimated at Tk. 2 lakh 56 thousand crores. The government has set a target of bringing down inflation to 6.5 percent in the budget of the fiscal year 2024-25 due to the increase in daily commodities. Finance Minister said that some special steps have been taken for this.

Early warnings do not reach flood-hit people



Kollol Roy, Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Kurigram
Photo: Barta24.com

Photo: Barta24.com

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Ibat Ali is a resident of Char Dakshin Baladoba Char of Begumganj Union of Ulipur Upazila of Kurigram. As the water in the Brahmaputra river has risen, the water has already reached the rice paddies of his living room. Even if 4 cows are kept in a dune, water has risen in that dune as a result of the continuous increase of water in the last 3 days. He was looking for a boat to take the cows to another place for the last two days. 3 days the cows have been under knee deep water and their legs have started to rot. On Wednesday (July 3) afternoon, on the way to hire a boat to keep the cows in the nearby bazaar, he was saying, 'I thought the water would not rise as much as last time. But it is not possible to stay at home due to the rising water for 3 days. We don't know when the water will rise or fall. Sometimes I listen when I go to the market.

Ibat Ali is not alone. Flood early warning does not reach most of the thousands of families in Kurigram's flood-affected Char area. When the water in the river started to rise in the grazing areas, the communication system was cut off. Due to the lack of boats, most of the families have to rely on other people's boats. Or you have to do urgent work with a boat with a higher rent. Mobile phones cannot be charged due to power outage. Flood affected people have to survive with limited communication even for urgent needs. Char people also have fewer tendencies to go to the local market every day. Everyone has an urge to go to market twice a week and return home quickly in daylight. So many people don't even get a chance to look at the TV in the market.

On Wednesday, Barta 24.com Correspondent visited some wild grasses in Begumganj Union. Along with various crises, many also regret not getting early warning of floods. They said that the damage would have been a little less if the water rise had been reported a few days before the flood. Cattle in particular could be kept safely on high ground.

Montu Mia of Batuatuli Musar Char said, "I have not received the government's announcement." I went to the market, take what I see on TV in the tea shop. I don't go to the market every day. I go for a walk two days a week. I saw the news on TV that the water is raising. But it was not known that it would increase so much. Some items were washed away. A few chickens died. If I had known earlier, I would have left it at a relative's house.

The local administration gives instructions to the local public representatives to convey information to the people on an urgent basis during the flood situation. Begumganj Union Chairman Bablu Mia said, 'Regular updates are delivered to our UP members. Also, we relay information to disaster response committees, village-based volunteers. I will find out why the information does not reach the people of Char area.

Saidul Arif, Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram, said, "The local administration (at the Union level) cannot avoid the responsibility of not reaching the flood-affected people on time. It is a collective work. There is no shortage of information. We will work on how to deliver information through coordination.

Due to heavy rains and upstream flow, the water level of Brahmaputra river in Kurigram has exceeded the mark. At 6 pm on Wednesday at Chilmari and Nunkhawa points, the water of this river flowed 34 cm and 32 cm above the danger level respectively. As a result of the continuous rise in water, thousands of people in some upazilas have been flooded in the lower areas of its basin. The water of Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers is increasing. In this situation, flood situation has arisen in the lower part of the district. New areas are being flooded.

Disaster management and relief wing of the district said that about 320 square kilometers area of Kurigram has been flooded. 404 shelters are operational for flood victims. So far 61 metric tons of rice, 2 thousand 967 packets of dry food and cash of Tk. 3 lakh 90 thousand have been distributed. 83 medical teams are deployed for emergency health care.

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Zia-Khaleda-Ershad brought nothing to the country: PM



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Zia-Khaleda-Ershad brought nothing to the country: PM

Zia-Khaleda-Ershad brought nothing to the country: PM

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alleged that BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia, Jatiya Party's Hussain Muhammad Ershad could not bring anything for the country during their visit to India.

Highlighting the diplomatic failure of the parties, she said that after the coming of the Awami League government, India-Bangladesh's 30-year Ganges water agreement, enclave exchange and the three-bigha corridor were opened. But Khaleda Zia, General Ershad and Ziaur Rahman could not solve all these problems.

She said all this in the closing speech of the JS session on Wednesday (July 3). Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury presided over the session.

Expressing anger in response to the criticism of the Prime Minister's visit to India from various quarters, she said, "I see some people have raised various issues about my visit to India." After returning to the country after six years in 1981, the same was heard (sale of the country to India). Now don't know why that broken record started playing.

Referring to the reason for not being able to come to power in 2001, the Awami League president said, "We did not get more seats in 2001 even though we got more votes because we did not want to sell gas." That's why I could not form the government. Because I didn't want to sell gas. So who sells the country? Khaleda Zia has done it, Ershad Sahib has done it. Ziaur Rahman did. They have done it, the Awami League does not.

The Prime Minister said, Ziaur Rahman opened our market for Indian products. 40 products are granted duty-free entry. In 1980, he also signed a contract for the sale of gas. Khaleda Zia went to India in 1992. Article 11 of the Joint Manifesto there acknowledges massive infiltration into India from Bangladesh. Then the push in started. Many of our people suffered there. We also demanded in the parliament to withdraw this article, but it was not heeded.

The head of government alleged that BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia, Jatiya Party's Hussain Muhammad Ershad's visit to India could not bring anything for the country. Highlighting the diplomatic failure of the parties, she said that after the coming of the Awami League government, India-Bangladesh's 30-year Ganges water agreement, enclave exchange and teen bigha corridors were opened. But Khaleda Zia, General Ershad and Ziaur Rahman could not solve all these problems.

Awami League president said, democracy is being talked about. Until now, democracy was imprisoned in the cantonment. There was a curfew all night. After the formation of the Awami League government, democratic rights returned to the people. People are voting for us, we are winning. I hear about torture. Which of our leaders and workers were left from torture during Zia, Ershad and Khaleda Zia? She said, everyone is talking, holding public meetings, marching, giving speeches. We have opened up radio and television to the private sector. I am doing talk shows as I wish. We are not holding anyone's face; we are not holding anyone's throat. Let him say whatever he can. We are running the state, working for the welfare of the people.

Responding to the criticism of bureaucrats from various quarters, the Prime Minister said, many blame our government officials. But I have seen the sincerity of the very young people (officials) during the Asryan project, their eagerness to work, that really gives me hope. Everyone worked with heart and soul. Such dedicated workers are needed to move this country forward. We need such officers.

The Prime Minister said, I have nothing to lose. There is nothing to gain. My only goal is to improve the country by providing food, education, medical care and shelter to every people of Bangladesh. That's what I want to do. We are moving forward. We will build a smart Bangladesh. At the same time, we will continue the activities to improve the fate of the people of Bangladesh. That's why I want everyone's help. Let us have more success in our new journey. Bangladesh will advance at an unstoppable speed. The people of Bangladesh will get a better and better life.

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Secretaries meeting at 4:30, good governance will get importance



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Secretaries meeting at 4:30, good governance will get importance

Secretaries meeting at 4:30, good governance will get importance

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Cabinet division has convened a meeting of the Secretaries. The meeting will be held on Thursday (July 4) at 4:30 pm in the Cabinet Room of the Secretariat. A letter has already been sent to the secretaries of all the ministries from the cabinet Division to attend the meeting.

Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain will preside over the meeting. Four issues including morality and good governance have been put on the agenda of the meeting.

It is said that various instructions may be given to the Secretaries in the meeting regarding the ongoing situation and contemporary issues. Apart from this, directions may also come on the issue of corruption allegations by some government employees.

This year's Secretary meeting is considered important for many reasons. In recent times, government employees have been criticized for irregularities and corruption. Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, National Board of Revenue officer Matiur Rahman and several other government officials have been exposed in the media.

Good governance is one of the agenda items in Thursday's Secretary meeting. According to the sources concerned, strict instructions may be given to the Secretaries regarding corruption in the meeting.

Four agendas have been set for the Secretaries meeting. They are integrity, good governance, election manifesto implementation and budget implementation.

There will be instructions for the secretaries to take action plans from the beginning of the year so that the budget for the financial year 2024-25 is implemented properly. Apart from this, a Secretary told a media that contemporary issues may be discussed in various discussions.

This will be the second Secretarial meeting of the current government after the Awami League came to power for the third consecutive term after winning the January 7 national elections. Earlier, the first meeting was held on February 5. At present there are 84 Secretaries.

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India has no objection to PM's visit to China: Foreign Minister



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
photo: Collected

photo: Collected

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Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmood has commented that India has no objection to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to China.

The Foreign Minister made this comment while talking to reporters after inaugurating the academy's journal, smart library and website at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Wednesday (July 3) afternoon.

Expressing the hope of moving forward by maintaining good relations with neighboring India, Hasan Mahmud said, "Our foreign policy is friendship with all, not enmity with anyone. We want to move the country forward by maintaining good relations with everyone.

He said that the Prime Minister visited India a few days ago. That visit was very fruitful. During the visit, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the visit to China.

He also said that China is our major development partner country. In our infrastructure development, many iconic structures including the Bangabandhu Tunnel, Padma Bridge, etc. have taken Chinese money and manpower. So the next visit is definitely very important. This visit is important to accelerate the development journey that China has been playing in our development journey for so long.

In response to the question whether there will be any new agreement during the visit to China, the foreign minister said that it has not been finalized yet. It's not time to tell yet.

When asked if India had any objection to visit China, he said, India never had any objection. When we discussed the Rohingya issue, China's role was discussed. Then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, I am going to China, I will discuss the matter there. This is how the matter came about.

He said that the relationship with Saudi Arabia is not only limited to the export of workers, it is multi-dimensional. Saudi Arabia wants to invest in Bangladesh; they will invest in the Special Economic Zone.

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