Ahmed Jakir :
The Awami League-led government is grappling with growing concerns over the escalating prices of essential commodities, despite relentless efforts to curb the surge.
The market syndicates and a high inflation rate have proven formidable challenges in the government’s attempts to stabilise prices.
While leaders and ministers of the current Awami League government attribute the rising costs to ongoing global conflicts and worldwide economic recessions, the public opinion in Bangladesh paints a different picture.
Many citizens believe that the abnormal price hike in essentials is a result of massive corruption within the Sheikh Hasina government.
In recent years, abnormal spikes in the prices of essentials have significantly diminished purchasing power and lowered the living standards of a majority of the population. Surprisingly, these hardships are not adequately reflected in official inflation data.
Consumer rights campaigners and economists emphasise that soaring prices of basic food items such as rice, wheat, pulses, edible oils, sugar, salt, protein diets, milk, and baby foods have placed them beyond the reach of many citizens.
Addressing the issue, Awami League’s General Secretary and Bridges Minister, Obaidul Quader, voiced concerns about the upward trend in commodity prices. He highlighted that the government’s primary challenge is to control the rising prices of essentials ahead of Ramadan.
Speaking at a briefing at the Awami League’s political office in Dhanmondi on Friday afternoon, Obaidul Quader emphasized that they are particularly focused on commodity prices and not distracted by the remarks or actions of the opposition, including the BNP.
Quader stated that the government is working internally to gain control over commodity prices. An ongoing campaign against hoarders is underway, with fines being imposed through inspections of warehouses.
The government’s efforts aim to ensure that commodity prices remain within the purchasing capacity of the people.
When contacted, AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim stated, “Currently, our government’s primary focus is to control the rise in prices of essential goods ahead of Ramadan, as promised in our election manifesto.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already directed the relevant authorities to take necessary steps to ensure that people can afford their daily essentials during the month of Ramadan.”
Speaking to this correspondent, Aftab Ali, a rickshaw puller from the Farmgate area, expressed concerns about potential further inflation of essential prices during Ramadan.
He shared that they are silently grappling with the escalating price hike of all commodities. “Sustaining our families has become unbearable, but the government seems indifferent to our sufferings,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, despite stern warnings and mobile court interventions, prices of key commodities such as rice, potatoes, oil, sugar, onions, fish, beef, eggs, and poultry products have not been effectively checked.
Winter vegetable prices remain high, raising fears among consumers that prices might further inflate as Ramadan approaches.
In response, the Commerce Ministry and four other concerned ministries have been working collectively since the new government took office on January 11.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has mandated stern action against hoarders, emphasising the urgency of bringing prices under control, particularly as the first priority of the new government.
A meeting held on January 21 resulted in the decision to implement an integrated market management and monitoring approach to curb market manipulation and rising commodity prices ahead of Ramadan.
Meanwhile, the following groups including TK Group (Edible oil), Bashundhara Group (Edible oil, Sugar, flour), City Group (Edible oil, sugar, flour, pulse), Meghna Group (Edible oil, sugar, flour, pulse), AftabBahumukhi Farms Ltd (Egg), Alin Foods (Rice) are big corporate who control the commodities market in Bangladesh.