Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her pleasure for a stable social and economic situation in the country during the just ended holy month of Ramadan that enabled the people to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in comfort this year.
“I’m happy to see that the overburdened civic problems including price of essentials, power and water crisis, law and order situation, that we inherited at the time of taking office in 2009, were under control during the month of fasting this year,” she said.
The prime minister said this in a brief comment to media after exchange of Eid greetings with different sections of people including party leaders, professionals, judges and diplomats at her official residence Gonobhaban in the capital Dhaka on Monday.
“People could shop till midnight freely and spontaneously as law and order was excellent while prices of the essentials, clothes and other Eid items were within the purchasing capacity of the people,” she said.
“Prices of some essentials came down in Ramadan this year what never been happened in the country before,” she observed saying lower prices of items helped people to buy more and traders to do brisk business.
Power generation and its overall management and water supply situation were also good in the month of Ramadan, she said.
The gate of the Gonobhaban opened for visitors at 9:00 am when people from all walks of life started coming after their Eid prayers and waited in queue to meet the prime minister.
At the beginning, senior Awami League leaders and cabinet members greeted the prime minister by presenting bouquets.The prime minister exchanged pleasantries with them.
Later the premier, flanked with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, daughter Saima Hossain and family members, senior party leader, and cabinet members arrived at banquet hall of the Gonobhaban for exchanging greetings with the commoners.
Leaders of different political parties, parliament members, freedom fighters, front organizations of Awami League, different professional bodies, trade bodies as well as cross section of people including beggars, destitute, male and females exchanged Eid greetings with her.
Like previous years, some of the visitors took the program as an opportunity to draw attention of the top executive of the country to their woes and sufferings and sought her intervention and support to resolve those problems.
A team of Bangladesh Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) AK Azad presented a bouquet to the Prime Minister.
Later, the prime minister exchanged Eid greetings with judges of the Supreme Court, senior civil and military officials and diplomats at a separate program at Gonobhaban lawn.
Chief Justice Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, Army Chief General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert W Gibson, diplomats of different Muslim countries, Europe, SAARC countries joined the function.
Sheikh Hasina entertained the visitors and common people with sweetmeats, cakes and semais. She also distributed food, clothes and cash among the poor.
BBN/SSR/AD-21Aug12-12:10 pm (BST)
