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significant scale, adds the minister.

Tajuddin Ahmad discloses that the Planning Commission is working on a five-year plan to be launched next year. The proposed plan would have retrospective effect from the current fiscal year and this year would be considered as the base year. The minister further says that a systematic plan could not be made within such a short time for various reasons. First, he says, whatever assistance was received was spent on feeding the people. Secondly, there is serious paucity of dependable data essential for preparation of a systematic plan.

BANGABANDHU IMPROVING

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was taken ill on July 5 night is improving satisfactorily, according to the prime minister’s personal physician Prof Nurul Islam. Bangabandhu has still some discomforts in the abdomen, he says. He requests the visitors not to disturb the prime minister for a few more days. Best wishes may be conveyed to him by signing a visitors’ book kept for that purpose. This is essential for the treatment and recovery of Bangabandhu, he adds.

31% RISE IN FOODGRAIN PRICES

The prices of foodgrains have registered a rise of 31 percent during the period January to June, 1972. Prices of essential commodities however increased by 20 percent over the same period, according to Annual Development Plan for the fiscal year 1972-73.

SOURCES: July 8, 1972 issues of Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla and Dainik Ittefaq.