Bangladesh currently has a record food grain stock of 2,396,753 metric tonnes, the highest level in the country's history, Prime Minister's Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman said on Tuesday.
"The food grain stock in government warehouses is the highest ever recorded in the country and will further strengthen Bangladesh's capacity to cope with any natural disaster or volatility in the global market," he said while addressing the weekly press briefing held at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID) in Dhaka, reports BSS.
The briefing highlighted the progress made by various government ministries, divisions and departments over the past week.
PID Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Dr Md Alam Mostafa were present at the briefing.
Zahed said that compared with the stipulated safe food stock benchmark of 1.35 million metric tonnes, government warehouses currently hold an additional 1,046,753 metric tonnes of food grains.
He said the record stock had been achieved through the successful implementation of the ongoing domestic Boro procurement drive, which began on May 3. As of July 26, a total of 473,005 metric tonnes of paddy and 1,078,836 metric tonnes of rice had been procured. The procurement campaign will continue until August 31, he added.
He said that, according to a decision by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Bangladesh is among 17 of the 86 countries worldwide placed under the lowest tariff rate of 10 percent. In contrast, China, Vietnam and Thailand have been placed under a 12.5 percent tariff, strengthening Bangladesh's competitive position in the ready-made garment and export markets.
The Ministry of Commerce has set an export target of $63.4 billion for the 2026-27 fiscal year, he added.
Zahed said that while addressing the United Nations Headquarters, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister reaffirmed the country's commitment to reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries by 50 percent by 2030.
The minister also announced the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI)-based speed management systems and the enactment of a new integrated road safety law by 2027, he added.
The information adviser said the government's objective of earning significant revenue through the successful telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 without spending a single taka from the public exchequer had been achieved.
He also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended the closing ceremony of the "Notun Kuri Sports 2025-26" as the chief guest and distributed prizes among the winners.
Adviser Dr Zahed said a technical fault at a floating LNG terminal had temporarily reduced gas supply to the national grid by 450 million cubic feet per day, creating temporary pressure on CNG stations and the industrial sector, while repair work is underway.
At the same time, he said, drilling of three new wells in Begumganj and Sunamganj, as well as the process of inviting tenders for new gas exploration both onshore and offshore, is continuing.
He said the government had significantly increased the monthly honorarium, medical allowance and festival allowance for heroic freedom fighters, the families of martyrs and war-wounded freedom fighters, effective from July 1, 2026.
He also said a nationwide farmers' database is being prepared, while the pilot implementation of the Farmer Card programme has been expanded to 503 blocks.
The information adviser further said that under the Ministry of Industries, agreements had been signed with 15 banks and financial institutions through the SME Foundation to disburse more than Tk 4.40 billion in low-interest loans at interest rates ranging from 8 percent to 9 percent.
