Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin has assured that the prices of essential commodities, including dates, chickpeas, and pulses, will remain lower than usual during the upcoming Ramadan.
He made the statement while addressing the prize giving ceremony of ‘FRF-PRAN Media Award- 2024’ at the office of Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The adviser also hoped that the supply of the essential commodities to the market will remain normal that time.
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Terming the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) one of the most severely damaged organisations over the past 15 years, he alleged that around Tk 28 lakh crore had been siphoned off during this period, undermining the TCB's role as a regulator.
The commerce adviser also commented on the Tk 8 hike per litre of bottled oil, saying, 'Although this may pose a hardship for consumers, it was a necessary adjustment to prevent a massive crisis in the edible oil market. We are now working to offset the impact of the increase by reducing the prices of other products."
He alleged that they are receiving inconsistent data about the agricultural produce from the relevant organisations as the past government ruined those, resulting in difficulties in taking decisions on market.
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Chaired by ERF President Refayet Ullah Mirdha, the event was attended, among others, by Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, PRAN-RFL Group Chairman Ahsan Khan Chowdhury and Bangladesh Journalist’s Welfare Trust Managing Director Muhammad Abdullah.