The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said that the cost of living in the capital Dhaka increased by 11.08 percent in 2022. The report released on Saturday said that around 17 products have directly contributed to the rise in inflation as well as the cost of living last year. The urban lower-income group of people has compromised their diet chart and lifestyle due to the increase in the prices of essential commodities, fish and meat. The report was presented on behalf of CAB by Mahfuz Kabir, research director of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS). Read More: Inflation report could show another month of cooling prices According to the report, the cost of living in the capital increased by 6.88 percent in 2020 and 6.5 percent in 2019. Dr Kabir has prepared the result, which was collected from 11 markets across Dhaka (Dhaka North and South City Corporation). It has covered 141 food items, 49 non-food items and 25 services. Rice, flour, pulses, bakery products, sugar, fish, eggs, domestic poultry, edible oil, imported fruits, tea and coffee, local and imported milk, washing and personal hygiene items, and transport costs are included in the CAB price monitoring. The CAB has proposed policy recommendations in the analysis of inflation trends. In the recommendations, the association said the government has increased support under subsidised food aid and social protection to reduce inflationary pressure on the poor and disadvantaged. But the government should extend social protection schemes in urban areas to protect low and middle-income consumers from rising inflationary pressures. Read more: Keep essentials' prices within reach: CAB The government has significantly increased OMS activities during Covid-19, which has been extended further in 2022 to protect these consumer groups from the economic slowdown and inflationary woes. But there is an inadequacy of food supply through OMS against extremely high demand and a lack of proper monitoring to ensure equitable distribution of OMS food products among low-income people. The CAB recommendation has also opposed the decision to increase gas and fuel oil prices at the retail level as the bulk price hike of gas and oil would affect lower-income people. CAB President Golam Rahman. Vice President SM Najer Hossain, General Secretary Advocate Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan, joint secretary Dr. Md. Shahnewaz Chowdhury, and Md. Qazi Abdul Hannan were also present at the press conference held virtually. Read more: CAB urges govt to readjust edible oil prices

Experts have urged the government to formulate a “fair and transparent policy” for Bangladesh’s energy sector to ensure energy rights for all the citizens of the country. “Access to energy is now a very important right of citizens. So, environmental safety has to be ensured in energy transactions,” said Dr M Shamsul Alam, an adviser of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB). He was addressing a views-exchange programme organized by CAB at the University of Science and Technology, Chattogram (USTC) on Saturday. Read: Deal signed to set up Bangladesh’s first-ever waste-to-energy project USTC Vice Chancellor Dr Jahangir Alam, Prof Dr Tanzim Uddin Khan of Dhaka University, and former dean of Social Sciences Faculty of Chattagram University Dr Hossain Kabir also spoke at the programme held with CAB vice president SM Nazer Hossain in the chair. Dr Shamsul Alam said an energy policy is needed to protect the interest of the people of the country, said a CAB media release.

Protesting the relentless price hike of essential commodities and 'fare anarchy' in public transport, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) held a mass rally at Nayabazar Bishwa Road intersection in Halishahar on Friday. General Secretary of CAB Advocate Jamal Hossain presided over the rally. CAB leaders said the Department of Consumer Protection, Safe Food Authority and Bangladesh Competition Commission have taken various initiatives to keep the prices of daily commodities stable but it does not work. Passengers are not benefiting even though BRTA and public transport owners have fixed the bus fares. Read: BNP launches 41-day programme against price hike of fuel, essentials Businessmen and transport owners are increasing the prices and fares according to their will defying government directions. As a result, dissatisfaction is growing among the commoners. In order to ensure the fare prices of daily essentials and stop the rent anarchy in the public transports, the Hon'ble Prime Minister and the policy makers of the government need to get the right information, the leaders said, according to a press release. Speakers alleged that the prices of commodities are controlled by traders. As a result, though the prices of rice, soybean oil and gas have come down in the international market, it has not been reflected in the domestic market. Read: Diesel price hike will not affect prices of essentials: Info Minister The speakers also noted that despite the nationwide students' agitation demanding half fare in public transport, the owners have accepted the demand only for Dhaka. In Covid situation, the price hike of fuel added misery to the common people. People want to get rid of this situation, they said.

The consumer rights groups and business operators on Thursday demanded an end to the government’s interference in the price fixing process of liquified petroleum gas (LPG).

A press release, issued by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, on Monday, said a public hearing of the BERC to re-fix the LPG price will be held on January 14-18. The time, format and location will be informed later. “Interested individuals, firms or organizations are requested to send their pre-public hearing statements or opinions to the commission by January 4, 2021,” said the Ministry Press release. It also

The post-paid electricity bill payers will be able to replace their meters with pre-paid ones to escape harassment regarding bill payment, said Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on Saturday.

Speakers at a webinar have urged the energy regulator to fix the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in a rational way through public hearing.

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has issued a legal notice to eight entities including Power Division asking them to stop collecting illegal arrear electricity bills from consumers from March to May.

The demand for beverages has come down sharply in the country due to Coronavirus pandemic despite the scorching hot. 

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on Tuesday insisted that the government’s directive to take Health Ministry’s approval before conducting any kind of drives at hospital will not terminate anarchy in the health system.