<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder has called on businessmen to follow best practices in the rice business to ensure its stable market price.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>"We urgently need all-out cooperation of millers, dealers, and traders to keep the rice price static for welfare of the public in general as rice is their staple food," he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister was addressing a divisional-level view-sharing meeting with stakeholders at the conference hall of deputy commissioner on Thursday as the chief guest.</div><div><br></div><div>Officials of administration, police, food, agriculture and other line departments and rice millers, dealers, traders and stakeholders from all eight districts in the division joined the meeting and some of them took part in its open discussion sharing their views on the issue.</div><div><br></div><div>Prof Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, MP, Secretary to the Ministry of Food Ismiel Hossain, and Director General of the Directorate of Food Md Shakhawat Hossain were present at the meeting with Commissioner of Rajshahi division Dewan Humayun Kabir in the chair.</div><div><br></div><div>Deputy Inspector General of Police Anisur Rahman and Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Biplob Bijoy Talukder also spoke.</div><div><br></div><div>Food Minister Sadhan Majumder said the country has attained bumper production in aman and boro rice so there is no reason for the price hike.</div><div><br></div><div>He urged the local civil and police administration to take action against any hoarding of rice. There would be no scope for illegal storage of rice with ulterior motives of making a profit. Law violators must be brought to book.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said they are working relentlessly to keep the rice price stable throughout the country and urged all to extend their wholehearted cooperation to make the effort successful.</div><div><br></div><div>Sadhan said the dealers and millers should extend cooperation in terms of giving information about the unscrupulous businessmen, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>"We are trying to establish transparency and accountability in the activities of the food ministry, department and district and upazila level offices," he said, adding stern action would be taken against the officials and employees who would be found guilty.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>