Officials have been ordered to take steps if someone is found to be creating artificial crisis," the inspector general of police said on Monday. Facing criticism, the government says there is no shortage of rice in the country and that some dishonest traders manipulated the market. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered officials to act against such traders to stop the price of the staple food grain from skyrocketing. The authorities raided several rice mills in Kushtia on Sunday in a drive against illegal stockpiling. Last week, Bangladesh Rice Mill Owners' Association President Abdur Rashid was fined for illegally hoarding rice.

Source: bd News24 September 18, 2017 15:56 UTC