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Over the last couple of weeks, Abdus Sobhan, a day labourer in the capital, saw his earnings drop to almost nothing.
With the government-imposed restrictions taking effect on April 14, the 40-year-old man, who crushes bricks and moves soil at construction sites, could hardly manage any work to make a living.
With very little income and no help around, he is worried about his survival in the city in the coming days as the government extended the restrictions till May 5. I have my elderly parents at my village home to look after. But if I cannot earn, how would I feed my family? Sobhan, who has been living in a slum in the city s Mirpur area for nearly seven years, told this newspaper yesterday.
The current stock of food grain is at its lowest in the last few years.
Both the cabinet committee on economic affairs and purchase approved a number of proposals in the past three months to import a total of 15.5 lakh tonnes of rice under government-to-government (G-to-G) arrangement and through international tenders.
The latest move to import rice came yesterday, when the two cabinet committees approved two proposals to import 1.5 lakh tonnes of rice from India.
During yesterday s cabinet meetings, chaired by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, the cabinet committee on economic affairs approved the food department s proposal to import one lakh tonnes of rice from Indian state-owned National Federation of Farmer s Procurement, Processing and Retailing Cooperatives India (NACOF).
In the wake of depleting food stock and sluggish public procurement of foodgrains, the government has started providing cash instead of rice and wheat to implement its Test Relief and Food for Work programmes.
Those who carry out tasks such as repair of roads, drains and culverts under the schemes will get cash till the end of the current fiscal year, food ministry officials told this newspaper yesterday.
Every year, the government takes up rural infrastructure development schemes meant for creating temporary employment opportunities for the poor.
It allocates three to four lakh tonnes of rice and wheat for paying the workers under the programmes. In this year s budget, Tk 1,600 crore has been allocated for the purpose, said the ministry officials.