The abnormal rise in prices of essential commodities has intensified miseries of the pandemic-hit low and fixed-income people across the country. Prices of daily essential commodities including rice, edible oil, chicken, onion, egg, meat, fish, and vegetables went up in the kitchen markets. Besides, most of the vegetables are selling at higher prices although supply of various summer and outgoing winter vegetables is available in the country’s kitchen markets.
There is enough stock of essentials in the country. There is no reason to increase price of essentials in the name of short supply. The soaring prices of essentials like rice, pulse, onion and vegetable, are forcing many to rush to OMS (Open Market Sale) trucks of state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to buy their commodities at lower prices.
Price listings will have to be hung on retail
and wholesale markets so that the traders
cannot increase prices at will
Low-income people especially the day-labourers, rickshaw-pullers, drivers or housemaids used to come to buy daily essentials at low prices earlier. But it has been noticed in recent times that a large number of middle-class people are also in standing in the queue to buy goods from TCB truck. Many of them were seen waiting for a long in a queue behind TCB trucks in city’s different strategic points and returned homes empty handed as TCB’s allocation is much less than the demand.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said there are some people who want to make some quick bucks capitalising the situation arising out of the pandemic and Russian-Ukraine conflicts. In this regard, the government has started monitoring the situation strictly.
Country’s businessmen at a meeting with the importers, millers, refiners, wholesalers and leaders of different market committees on Tuesday said there is now no crisis of essentials especially edible oil in the countrywide kitchen markets.
The government must provide necessary support to carry out countrywide OMS of essential commodities to reach essential items to middle and low-income people at a subsidised price. The government needs to take necessary steps to intensify market vigilance immidietly. Besides, the deputy commissioners will have to be asked to carry out the prime minister’s directive.
Price listings will have to be hung on retail and wholesale markets so that the traders cannot increase prices at will. The authorities concerned should take legal actions against the dishonest millers, hoarders and traders involved with illegal hoarding of essential commodities to earn windfall profits.
