Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said there will be no price hike of daily essentials if people refrained from purchasing excess items ahead of Ramadan. “Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members, police and executive magistrates will monitor markets and there will be no price hike of essential items if people do not buy excess items ahead of Ramadan,” he said. The commerce minister said this while talking to reporters after attending a programme at Chandpur Police Lines Auditorium on Friday. Due to the dollar price going up, prices of daily essentials have gone up in many countries and the prices of imported goods have also seen a rise in Bangladesh, he said. Keeping this in mind, the government has started selling edible oil, sugar, dates, chickpeas and lentils through state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) at low prices for one crore low-income families, he added. Also read: TCB starts selling 5 daily essentials ahead of Ramadan From Thursday, TCB started selling daily essentials ahead of Ramadan. The card holders can buy goods at subsidized rates from specific TCB sales points and dealers’ outlets. A card holder can buy 2 litres of soybean oil, 2 kg lentils, sugar, chickpea and 1 kg dates at a time. The card holders can buy sugar at TK 60 per kg, date at Tk 100 per kg, lentils at Tk 70, chickpeas at Tk 50 and soybean oil at Tk 110 per litre.  

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday said they are very concerned about the price hike of essentials, noting that there might be a "manipulation" behind such excessive rise of essentials' prices. "We are suffering a lot. Our people are facing enough difficulties due to the sudden rise of essentials' prices. Where the price of eggs was Tk 90 (per dozen), now it is Tk 150. I can't figure out how it happened," he told reporters in Tungipara. Citing the recently increased diesel prices he said such price hike of essential commodities are not justified. "Prices (of essentials) have skyrocketed and we are very concerned and worried about it. If there is no manipulation here, how can the price increase like this?" wondered the foreign minister. Momen said they want to provide essentials at an affordable price and do not want to see any instability. He said many were saying Bangladesh is becoming Sri Lanka. "In that context, I said there is no reason for Bangladesh to become Sri Lanka. We are rather better than other countries." Read: I told India to help maintain stability in Bangladesh, Momen clarifies Momen said there are people to spread propaganda and it is done in an organised way. "We all need to remain careful. It's our country," he said, adding that those in opposition should also keep it in mind that everyone will be affected if there is any instability in the country. Momen said some media outlets make false reports to create anarchy in the country. "This is very unfortunate." Earlier, leaders of Bangabandhu Foundation paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his grave at Tungipara. Momen, president of Bangabandhu Foundation, along with other leaders of the organisation placed wreath at Bangabandhu’s grave in the morning. They offered fateha and raised hands in prayer seeking eternal peace for the departed soul of Bangabandhu and his family members who were killed on the dreadful night of August 15, 1975. The Executive President of the Central Committee of Bangabandhu Foundation Advocate Moshiur Malek, Vice President Advocate Abdul Khalek Mia and Md Delwar Hossain were present among others.

Amid the soaring prices, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Jasim Uddin on Sunday urged businesses not to make excessive profit on essential goods considering the situation. He said the Covid-19 pandemic hit the earning of almost all people triggering the price hike of essentials, which ultimately added to the commoners’ woes. The FBCCI president said this at a views-exchange meeting with importers, wholesalers and traders at the FBCCI office. “Of course, you’ll make profit from your businesses, but do not do excesses,” Jasim told the businesses. He expressed concerns at the discrepancies in pricing of similar goods based on areas and markets. Read: NBR urged to withdraw, slash duties on 4 essential items “Suppose a one-kg cucumber is sold at Tk 10 at Karwan Bazar while Tk 50 in Gulshan area,” Jasim said urging the business people to stop this practice. He said often blame is passed on to the business community as a whole but every businessman is not a profit monger. “There are some dishonest businesses who always try to cash in on the situation,” the FBCCI president added. The consumers of the country have been suffering from the soaring prices of essentials, such as sugar, edible oil and vegetables amid the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. Besides, he said, the price hike of energy and commodities and depreciation of local currency have been fuelling the inflationary pressure on consumers. Read:Price hike in Bangladesh: Unseen sufferings of shy middle class Many of the businesses attended the meeting said extortion by vested quarters contributed to the price spirals of many items. A businessman who attended the meeting told the correspondent not to be named that he has to pay a toll of Tk 9,000 per truck for the van to reach Dhaka from Bagura.

BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Tuesday voiced deep concern over the price hike of essentials, and alleged that Awami League-backed middlemen are behind it. "People have got unnerved with the growing hike in essential commodities, but the government has not been able to take any step to control it due to the middlemen belonging to their party,” he said. Speaking at a human-chain programme, the BNP leader alleged that the ruling-party business syndicate is depriving farmers of the fair prices of their produce with the help of the administration. “The government is not willing to take any step to ensure fair prices for farmers as it just wants to benefit its cohorts.” Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding fair prices for the produce of the farmers and reduction of the prices of fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, diesel and electricity. Read: BNP policymakers in another closed-door meeting Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said people are not getting any service from the administration due to its politicisation. He said there is no point in making any demand to the current government and the administration for protecting the interests of farmers and the welfare of people. “There’s no alternative to dislodging the government to get rid of the current situation of the country.” The BNP leader urged the leaders of their party and its associate bodies to take the responsibility for ousting the Awami League government as people do not want to see this party in power anymore. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to wage a mass movement by organising the people of the country under the leadership of BNP. In the face of the mass movement, this government of usurper will be forced to quit,” he warned. Read: BNP plans series of party central leaders’ meetings Mosharraf asked the BNP leaders and activists to get ready to take part in the movement and make it a success. “I want to ask the government to step down immediately and take steps for holding the next general election under a non-partisan and neutral government as per the demand of the country’s people. The sooner this fascist government is removed from power, the better for the country.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday voiced deep worries over the growing price hike of essentials and alleged that a government-backed syndicate is behind it. "We’re very worried that the prices of essential commodities, including rice, pulses and salt, have already gone up ahead of the Ramadan,” he said at a virtual press conference. The BNP leader said, “The government has failed to control the market as it’s involved with the syndicate that raises prices. The government-backed people have made the syndicate for increasing the prices.” Also read: Prices in kitchen markets on the up ahead of Ramadan Fakhrul alleged that BNP leaders and activists are being arrested and implicated in cases as part of a ruling party plot to eliminate the party and thwart its ongoing movement. He also presented statistics on the filing of cases in different places against BNP leaders and activists over the last few days. The BNP leader criticised the government for arresting their party executive committee member advocate Nipun Roy charge of involvement in the recent violence. “Nipun Roy is a working lawyer, an active human rights activist and a conscious politician. She can’t have any involvement in any terrorist activities. It's a completely conspiratorial and fabricated and false charge,” Fakhrul said. Also read: BNP leader Nipun Roy arrested in city He demanded the withdrawal of the case filed against opposition leaders and activists and the release of those arrested. He alleged that the government has failed to raise awareness among people to encourage them to maintain health safety rules to contain the surge in coronavirus infection. The BNP leader said though the ruling party leaders are keeping themselves protected from the deadly virus staying at their homes, they are pushing the common people to get out of their houses.

Voicing deep worry over the price hike of essentials, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Saturday said the market is not out of the government’s control.

A supply crunch has pushed up onion prices by an average of 80 percent in Dhaka’s kitchen markets compared to last year.