Rice Stockpiled by Sheikh Hasina’s Government Being Distributed With Her Name Removed From Sacks

❐ Special Correspondent

A huge amount of rice stored by the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government is still in the food warehouses. The poor are still getting that rice. However, government officials in different parts of the country are embarrassed to see Sheikh Hasina’s name printed on the stored rice sacks.

Since the Yunus government took power, it has been repeatedly claiming that Sheikh Hasina’s government has made everything empty. Although those statements are being proven wrong step by step. The real truth is coming out in front of the poor common people after seeing her name on the rice sacks stored by Sheikh Hasina’s government. And to hide that truth, the work of covering Sheikh Hasina’s name with paint is going on.

Such scenes have been witnessed on the ground in various parts of the country.

The inscription on the sacks of rice stocked for beneficiaries at the food warehouse in Tentulia, Panchagarh reads: ‘Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh, hunger will be gone’. After criticism started, the inscription on the sacks was erased with ink by Upazila Food Inspector and Officer-in-Charge Md. Rubel Alam. The food inspector himself erased the slogan of Sheikh Hasina on the sacks of rice at the Tentulia Upazila Food Warehouse premises.

Under the OMS and food friendly programs, 123 metric tons of rice will be distributed among the beneficiaries through dealers. During the food warehouses and rice distribution in different districts and upazilas of the country, slogans bearing the name of the fallen government Sheikh Hasina were seen on various rice bags. And this created a sensation in the minds of the people. They expressed excitement at the sight of Sheikh Hasina leaving rice for the poor, which still exists. But government officials felt embarrassed by this.

Later, along with the workers and employees, Upazila Food Inspector and Officer-in-Charge Md. Rubel Alam personally erased the name of each sack with black ink. Now, the sacks of rice that are going to various union parishads and distribution points do not have the name and slogan of the fallen government, Sheikh Hasina.

Tentulia Upazila Food Inspector Rubel Alam said that District Food Controller Antara Mallick has issued instructions and is monitoring the situation around the clock. In line with this, work has been underway to remove the names and slogans on the bags since morning.

He said, “We have been continuing this work since August 5th. However, since there is doubt whether the work will be completed properly by using laborers, I am personally doing the work myself with paint brushes. I feel it is my moral responsibility. We are hopeful that rice sacks without names and slogans will go from our upazila to the rice distribution points of every union.”

In addition, during the distribution of rice for the food-friendly program for the extremely poor in Nabinagar East Union of Brahmanbaria, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rajib Chowdhury left the venue without distributing the rice, annoyed by seeing slogans in the name of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sacks.

On Thursday, September 18, 30 kg of rice was to be distributed to 60 extremely poor people of the union at noon. UNO Rajib Chowdhury, Union Parishad Chairman Helal Uddin and local public representatives were present at the time.

Helal Uddin, Chairman of Purba Union Parishad, said that UNO Sir came to inaugurate the rice distribution. However, for some reason, he got annoyed and left.

Although he initially refused to say the reason, Helal Uddin later opened up after the news spread from locals; he said that the UNO might have been annoyed by seeing the slogans in Sheikh Hasina’s name on the previous sack even after a year. Sir was mainly angry at the breach of discipline.

In this regard, Upazila Executive Officer Rajib Chowdhury said, “I returned from there after seeing the mismanagement of rice distribution.”

It is learned that the UNO has ordered the removal of Sheikh Hasina’s name by painting the sacks.

However, the issue of removing Sheikh Hasina’s name with paint has generated strong reactions among the general public. As soon as these pictures spread on the internet, criticism of the interim government’s activities arose. Many are commenting that there is no visible achievement other than changing the signboard and removing the name, and that they are rather busy claiming the achievements of others in their own name.

Some say that more than 13 months have passed since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government through a conspiracy. The rice stockpiled by her government still remains. ‘Sheikh Hasina has turned the country into a bottomless basket’ – people are now realizing that these statements by Dr. Yunus and his advisors are false.