Ruling party assisting party-backed rice mill owners to have profit by procuring paddy: Mirza Fakhrul

Mbp Desk: BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the ruling party is assisting party-backed rice mill owners to have profit by procuring paddy and rice. The rice mill owners are getting Tk 10 as profit by selling per kg of rice to the government while they(mill owners) are purchasing paddy from market at low price. On the other hand, the farmers are counting losses Tk 10 to Tk 12 after selling per kg of paddy(produced by them) in the market, said Mirza Fakhrul. The BNP secretary general made the remark at a press conference at part’s central office at Nayapaltan in the capital. Mirza Fakhrul said, “Protesting the low price of paddy, farmers at many places of the country are setting their paddy fields on fire and also throwing paddy on the roads. They are demanding fair prices of paddy and their demand is very logical.” He also alleged that the government is not paying heed to their demands. “The paddy or rice has to be purchased directly from the famers, lessening their sufferings. The farmers at root level sell their paddy at low prices during the harvesting season. And after some days, they are bound to buy rice at high prices from the market,”  said Mirza Fakhrul.