Rice hoarders should be fined equal to their stock : Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar

Rice hoarders should be fined equal to their stock or sued to ensure that they can no longer continue business, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar said today .

The minister also said if necessary, hoarders should be sent to jail. 

"They cannot be spared with a nominal fine," he said while addressing a  divisional level view-sharing meeting with stakeholders related to controlling rice price hike at the conference hall of the Rajshahi deputy commissioner's office.

He instructed rice mill owners to be more transparent about rice prices.

"You will write the name of the rice and the mill gate price on the sack. Write the mill gate price, not the maximum retail price. Then I will catch the retailers. Because if We try to catch them [for selling rice at high prices], they claim that the mill owners increased the rice price. That's why you [mill owners] all need to come clean first. Then, action will be taken against the retailers," Minister Sadhan said.

MP Prof Shafiqur Rahman Badsha,  Food Secretary Ismail Hossain and Director General of the Directorate of Food Shakhawat Hossain Kabir were present at the meeting with Commissioner of Rajshahi Division Dr Dewan Humayun Kabir in the chair.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Anisur Rahman and Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Biplob Bijoy Talukder also spoke on the occasion.