Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that, to prevent smuggling of rawhides from sacrificial animals, no one will be able to bring hides in or take them out across the border.

He said this while talking to journalists at the Secretariat on Sunday afternoon (2 July).

Asked about hide smuggling, the home minister said: "Our border is fine. No one can bring hides in or take them out. One problem this time is that rawhides sold for less than the government-set price. What benefit traders get from that, they can say best."

The price of green chilli has suddenly risen to Tk 1,000 a kg. Asked about the use of green chilli in cooking in his own household, the home minister told journalists: "No one's household runs on green chilli alone. You can ask about rice and lentils."

Asked how the government viewed the fact that people going to the market found green chilli at Tk 800 to 1,000 a kg, given that the Awami League government says it works with the people, the minister said: "People know well that when there is rain or flooding in this season, there is a shortage of green chilli, because supply to the market falls. That is why many people grow chilli plants in tubs at home. When the rain and floods ease, the price of green chilli will return to normal."

Asked whether a rise in snatching in parts of the capital showed any weakness in law enforcement, the minister said: "It is because there is none that two incidents have happened. If there were something like that, I would have avoided the subject. I have said clearly that these two incidents happened within seven days. They were unwanted and should not have happened. We believe that if anyone has a weakness, our commissioner, who came here a little while ago, is taking it seriously. He is looking into anyone's weakness and will take action. We are putting this in place."

Asked about BNP's movement to topple the government with the help of a superpower, he said: "We do not understand what a superpower is. What we call a superpower is the people. The people are the superpower. There is no superpower above them. We believe that nothing done without the people will ever succeed. We are with the people, and we run on the strength of the people."

On complaints of excessive bus fares during Eid, the home minister said the communications minister could answer that. "We discuss everything. We also discuss making sure garment workers' wages and bonuses are paid on time. If there are potholes on the roads, we inform Roads and Highways. Just as we look at law and order, we also talk about safe journeys for people going home," he said.

On the extra fares, he added that the owners' association had said that during the Eid rush a bus leaving Dhaka for a district is full, but has to come back completely empty, and they had demanded to make up for that. However, fares are always set by the communications ministry, which can give a proper answer, he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.