Bangladesh has purchased LNG and fertiliser at lower prices from the international market compared to previous rates as prices of the two products fall on the international market. Such an indication was found from the government's latest purchase of the two essential products. The approval of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase to the latest purchase shows that Petrobangla has imported 33.60 lakh MMBtu of LNG from Vitol Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore at a per unit price at $25.75. The total value of the consignment was Tk 886.76 crore. Also read: Cabinet purchase body approves import of diesel, Jet fuel, LNG and fertilizer The per unit price of the last consignment's LNG was $26.40 which at one stage went to $39 following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Similarly, the price of fertiliser witnessed a big fall as the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) bought 30,000 metric tons of bagged granullar urea fertiliser with each metric ton’s price at $671 while price of each metric ton of the last consignment was $876 and at one stage it crossed $900. The 30,000 MTs of bulk fertliser this time costs Tk 174.62 crore, said Zillur Rahman, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division, who briefed reporters. Meanwhile, the Cabinet committee approved a proposal to award a Tk 439.51 crore contract to Joint Venture (1) ZHEC (2) BOW and (3) SMEDRIC, Hong Kong to do civil construction works for set up a water treatment plant at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City at Mirsarai in Chattagram. Also read: Bangladesh wants to procure LNG from Qatar for a longer period: PM Another proposal of the Department of Public Works received the approval of the committee to award Tk 191.80 crore contract to Mazid Sons Construction Ltd. to build a 25-story apartment complex at Green City Housing in Ropppur Nuclear Power Plant project.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the government will provide special cards to one crore people so that they can purchase essential commodities at lower prices. “We’ve targeted one crore people. We will provide them with special cards so that they can buy some essential items at fair prices,” she said while chairing a meeting of Awami League-led 14-party alliance at her official residence Ganobhaban here. Hasina, also the AL president, said her government is taking measures to keep the prices of daily essentials under control during the upcoming Ramadan. Read: Expedite Shahjalal Airport's extension work, PM directs authorities She said some 50 lakh people have already been given the cards to buy rice at Tk 10 per kg. “We’ll extend support to additional one crore people by providing special cards so that they can purchase essential items at fair prices,” she said. The prime minister said the 38 lakh people who got financial support from the government during the Covid-19 pandemic will be included among the one crore people. Noting that the government has enough food in stocks, she said it still has 18 lakh metric tonnes of food grains in stock and there is no problem here. Hasina urged the people of the country to increase crop production. “Not a small piece of land should be left uncultivated in order to fulfil our food demand,” she said. Talking about the price hike of edible oil, the prime minister said she has directed officials concerned to form a taskforce in this regard. She said soybean oil is imported largely from Brazil, while palm oil from Malaysia. It is true that the prices increased significantly in the international market and the cargo fare went up due to the war, she added. The government will now find out as to why the prices went up despite having a stock of edible oil in the country, said Hasina.