She asked the cabinet secretary to take immediate steps through the deputy commissioners (DCs).
She gave this directive at the Cabinet meeting held in the prime minister’s office.
Sheikh Hasina inquired about the food stock in the country. The secretary concerned briefed her on the matter.
She said food should be imported in a way to maintain the status quo and farmers should not face any problems.
According to certain ministers, the prime minister also took stock of the situation created by stagnant floodwaters, as many bridges and culverts were hampering a quick flow.
The prime minister was informed that embankments had been built on many small rivers.
Some people are farming fish by erecting barriers at the entrance of culverts and beneath bridges.
In some cases, the channels under the culverts and bridges are being filled with earth by people for their own benefit, thus obstructing the flow of water.
The PM asked the cabinet secretary to direct the DCs to take immediate measures to ensure a fast flow of water beneath all bridges and culverts.
Food minister Qamrul Islam informed the cabinet that the country had a food stock of 2mn tonnes to meet domestic demands till January 31.
At this point, the prime minister made it clear that food imports should not hurt farmers.
Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury informed the cabinet that the country had enough Aman seeds and Aman seedlings.
Once the floodwaters receded, the farmers could go for transplantation.
Cabinet secretary Mohamed Shafiul Alam briefed reporters after the meeting, giving details of the proceedings.
He said, during the period, 1.5mn metric tonnes of rice would be brought from Cambodia and Thailand to meet the deficit.
Besides, 5,00,000 tonnes of wheat would be imported from Russia and Ukraine, he said, quoting the food minister’s briefing of the cabinet.
The cabinet secretary further said that at the outset of the cabinet meeting the food minister had said that a delegation led by him had recently been to Cambodia, where a memorandum of understanding was signed to import of one million metric tonnes of rice in the next five years on a government-to-government basis.
Asked when this rice is expected to arrive, the cabinet secretary said the process of importing the rice has begun.