Three bodies formed to monitor rice market

Amid the uptrend in rice prices, the food ministry on Sunday formed three committees and set up a control room to monitor the retail markets of rice in the capital, reports UNB.

Sumon Mehedi, information officer of the ministry, said the ministry has taken various initiatives, including holding meetings with rice traders and mill owners, as the rice prices kept steadily rising.

Apart from setting up a control room at the ministry, three monitoring committees have been formed to keep the prices stable through strong monitoring.

"The control room has been set up in order to control the rising trend in rice prices, assist the people of low-income groups and keep the prices stable in the market," said a handout.

People can provide information or lodge any rice market-related complaint to the control room over phone (029540027, 01642967727), Mehedi added.

The first committee consists of Mahbubur Rahman, senior assistant secretary (external procurement) of the food ministry, Utpal Kumar Saha, additional director (movement) and Saiful Kabir Khan, deputy director (procurement) of Directorate General of Food.

Faruk Hossain, additional director (admin section), Nazim Uddin, deputy director (silo) and Nurul Islam Sheikh, assistant secretary of Directorate General of Food, are members of the second committee.

Members of the third committee are Sheikh Nurul Alam, deputy secretary of the food ministry, Amjad Hossain, additional director (internal audit) and Rakibul Hasan, deputy director (development) of the Directorate General of Food.

Nurul Islam, assistant secretary of the food ministry will be in charge of the control room.