Coronavirus to create food shortage, global famine: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday instructed producing and stocking foodgrains in the country noting that the world might face famine in the coming days as coronavirus will create a shortage of food.

"There will be a food recession due to coronavirus. In the future, there might be a global famine," she said, reports UNB.

The Prime Minister said this while delivering her introductory speech while holding a video conference with the public representatives and officials of eight districts of Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions today on the present coronavirus situation in the country from her official residence Ganobhaban.

The districts are – Manikganj, Gazipur, Tangail and Kishoreganj of Dhaka division and Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrakona and Mymensingh of Mymensingh division.

Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on producing and preserving food to face the possible food crisis in the post-coronavirus regime.

"If we can produce foods and preserve those then we won’t fall into that famine, rather we will be able to help many others. We’ve to take those steps from now," she said.

She said that land of the country is fertile and the people are laborious while Bangladesh currently is a food sufficient country.

"Let there not be an inch of land left without farming. We’ve to keep our eyes on that and that’s what I want," she said.

Referring steps to harvest the paddy in the field, she asked the law enforcement agencies to cooperate in this regard as food is very much important issue at this moment.

Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and some private TV channels and radio stations broadcasted the video conference live.

Earlier, the prime minister exchanged views with the public representatives and officials of 43 districts of Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Sylhet and Barishal divisions in four phases.