Remain alert as none can create crises of essentials in Ramadan: PM

Staff Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday termed food adulteration, stockpiling, black marketing and ill attempt of creating crises of the daily commodities ahead of the holy Ramadan very contemptible, calling upon all to remain cautious against those.
“I call upon all to stay alert as none can adulterate and stockpile food and create crises of daily essentials ahead of the Ramadan,” she said.
The prime minister said this while inaugurating 50 more model mosques across the country joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence here.
She also requested the Alems and Imams to inform people about those social menaces through the khutbas (sermons) in the mosques to decrease the tendency of charging additional prices.
“The Ramadan is ahead. Some unscrupulous businessmen are trying to increase the price of commodities. It is a very abominable task,” she said.
“It is unnecessary to give people pain after increasing the prices of essentials when they will be busy with observing Ramadan and offering prayers,” she added.
With opening of 50 mosques in the third phase, the premier so far inaugurated 150 mosques out of 564 being built at a cost of Taka 9435 crore.
She earlier opened 50 mosques each in the first phase on June 10 in 2021 and in the second phase on January 16 in 2023.
The construction of the rest of the mosques is scheduled to be completed by June 2024.
The model mosques and Islamic cultural centres include separate places for aju (ablution) and namaj along with air-conditioned systems.
Besides, there will be registration and training arrangements for Hajj pilgrims, Imam training centre, research centre and Islamic library, autism corner, ritual systems before burial, car parking facility, hifzakhana, pre-primary education and Quran learning arrangement, conference room for Islamic cultural activities and Islamic dawat, Islamic books sale centre, boarding facility for local and foreign guests along with the mosques.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan and its Secretary Kazi Enamul Hassan spoke at the function.PM’s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah moderated the programme.
Sheikh Hasina said her government is providing rice at Taka 30 per kg to one crore people alongside giving per kg rice at TK 15 to one crore more people.
Besides, 30-kg of rice are being given to the hardcore poor people free of cost, she said, adding that various measures have also been taken as the people can purchase daily essentials such as oil, sugar, and pulse with TCB fair price cards.
“We have taken every required measure so that the people don’t suffer during the Ramadan,” she said.
She also called upon the rich people to help the poorer during the Ramadan.
The prime minister has sought prayer from the countrymen as her government can work in a better way for the country’s socio-economic advancement and make it free from poverty and hunger where none will remain homeless.
Sheikh Hasina said her government is setting up the model mosques and Islamic cultural centres in each of the district and upazila to inform people about the true knowledge of Islamic values and cultures.
And thus, her government wants to spread the practice of Islamic values and cultures among the people to keep them away from the terrorism, militancy and drugs-like social menaces, she added.
“We want our country to be developed and march ahead. It is urgently necessary to create awareness about militancy, terrorism and drugs to smoothen the journey towards advancement,” she said.
Describing the Islam as the most peaceful religion in the world, she said some people are dishonouring it through carrying out militancy and terrorism and thus killing people.
The prime minister said Allah never gives authority to anyone to kill someone in the name of protecting Islam.
“They who truly believe in the Islam, they will be tolerant to other religions. —we believe in peace, human rights and the welfare of the people,” she added.
Referring to attempts made on her life time and again since returning to the country in 1981, she said she was saved all the times.
“I have been saved all the times (from the attacks on my life). I believe that Allah has protected me— I will be saved until completion of the works Allah wants to be done by me,” she continued.
She recalled the contribution of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the development of Islam.
The premier said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave land in Tongi for holding the Biswa Ijtema, building Islamic foundation to spread the Islamic values and norms and purchased a Hizbul Bahar Ship to send Bangladeshis to Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Being imbued with the spirit of Islam and following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation, she said they have come up with the idea of constructing 564 model mosques across the country.
Briefly describing the measures taken by her government in the last 14 years to spread the Islamic norms and ideology, she said they have built Islamic Arabic University in Bangladesh.
Her government has set up several thousands of libraries in mosques across the country and is giving proper training to imams and mosque-based education in this regard, the premier said.
She also said they started the extension work of the Baitul Mukarram Mosque after assuming office in 1996, and completed it after coming to power again in 2009.