Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the businessmen to do business thinking about their country and its people as the world is going through a crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war and the Covid-19 pandemic. The premier said this while exchanging views with the country’s importers and exporters of consumer goods at her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital Dhaka on Wednesday.
The lower, lower middle, middle and fixed income groups’ people especially day-labourers, rickshaw-pullers, drivers or housemaids are the worst victims of essentials price hike. On the other hand, an organised syndicate comprising traders and wholesalers are still hiking prices of everything including daily needs. Though drives are being conducted by mobile courts and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, members of this unholy nexus remain still untouched. As a result, they have become desperate to make profit in large margin in dishonest and unethical way.
It is time to get tough on syndicates
that are responsible
for creating unrest in
the kitchen market deliberately
Against the backdrop of the impacts of the global economic situation when the government is trying hard to keep the prices of essential commodities at a minimum level through ensuring stabilisation of economy, some corporate houses, dishonest millers, hoarders and traders together are making the essentials market volatile deliberately. Therefore, the prices of essential commodities are going up due to the excessive greed of traders.
It is not possible to arrest the prices of daily essentials by only taking measures, making statements or warning issues instead of getting tough on the greedy traders. The organised unholy syndicate’s members, who are benefiting from the price hike, are also making the government controversial. If the government does not get tough on the organised thugs and syndicate is not broken, the prices of daily essential will not come down. Besides, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh must be strengthened and the rampant extortion of the influential quarter in the transport sector will have to be stopped to bring the abnormal price hike down.
There is no alternative but to get tough on syndicates that are responsible for creating unrest in the kitchen market deliberately. Besides, authorities concerned must conduct mobile courts, monitor price lists and penalise traders who sell essential commodities at higher prices.
