Govt to provide protein-rich food to 1mn families at subsidised rates: State Minister

The government will supply protein-rich foods — including milk, eggs, meat, and fish — at subsidised prices to low-income families across the country during the holy month of Ramadan, State Minister Sultan Salauddin Tuku announced on Thursday (February 19).

The initiative aims to benefit nearly one million families, stabilise market prices, and support ordinary consumers.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Ramadan subsidised food programme at the Livestock Research Institute conference hall in Mohakhali, the state minister said the initiative is part of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s commitment to public welfare.

“Some unscrupulous traders tend to hike prices during Ramadan, causing hardship for low-income households. This government programme will help ease their burden,” he said.

The minister also indicated plans to expand the programme in the future.

He added that the government will introduce Family Cards, Agriculture Cards, and Health Cards to implement its election pledges effectively, emphasising transparency, dedication, and teamwork.

Paying tribute to the country’s political legacy, the minister recalled that BNP founder Shahid President Ziaur Rahman worked for public welfare, while party leader Begum Khaleda Zia endured hardships for democracy and people’s rights without yielding to injustice.

The event was chaired by Dr. Md. Abu Sufian, director general of the Department of Livestock Services, and attended by senior officials including Secretary Abu Taher Muhammad Jaber of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Mosihur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC), and Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Cattle and Fattening Farmers Association (BCFFA).