No one can run a business violating law: Food minister

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Thursday said that no one can run a business violating the law existing in the country. 

"Strict action would be taken if anyone does business of rice and paddy for not complying with law," the minister said while addressing a meeting with stakeholders related to controlling rice price hike at the conference room of Jhenaidah deputy commissioner of the district.

Sadhan said it is not logical to increase the price of rice suddenly without any reason. The process is going on to ensure the write up the price of mill gate on rice bag and this will strengthen retail and wholesale market monitoring, he said.

The minister said the millers are claiming that the corporate organizations are buying paddy with competition and stocking illegally. But the millers help them buy paddy and rice illegally. It was the millers who took the advance money from them and supplied the rice in packets, he said.

He urged the local civil and police administration to take action against any hoarding of rice. There will be no scope of illegal storage of rice with ulterior motives of making a profit. Law violators must be brought to book, he said.

The food minister said they are working relentlessly to keep the rice price static throughout the country.

Among others, Md Abdul Hai, a lawmaker from Jenaidah-1 constituency, additional secretary of the food ministry Habibur Rahman, additional police super Md Imran Jakaria, Jhenaidah Auto Rice Mill Malik Samity president Md Moazzem Hossain and Jhenaidah Press Club President Md Mizanur Rahman, addressed the meeting with deputy commissioner SM Rafiqul Islam in the chair.