United News of Bangladesh

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan on Tuesday said the abnormal rise in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices was created by retail and wholesale traders. “Some traders created an artificial crisis in the market by taking advantage of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission’s price adjustment announcement,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Advisers’ Council Committee on Government Purchase and Economic Affairs at the Secretariat. Red Hat to empower local businesses with open source solutions The adviser said the government has ordered the authorities to conduct mobile courts across the country through district administrations and police to tackle the situation.  “Those who expected LPG prices to rise saw that BERC increased the price by Tk 53 or so and many tried to take advantage of that. We have asked the Cabinet Secretary to ensure mobile courts are conducted in every district. We also discussed this at yesterday’s law and order committee meeting,” he said. There is no real reason for such abnormal price hike and this has been done through manipulation, he added.

Despite bumper yield of sweet pumpkins, farmers in Thakurgaon are counting losses as high transport costs are preventing them from sending their wares all over the country, forcing some of them to sell at low prices in the local market.   According to the farmers of the district, sweet pumpkin cultivation has been extensive in Thakurgaon district this time. Production has also been bumper.   But due to rising transport costs, thousands of sweet pumpkins are piled up on the side of the fields and even on the side of the road and farmers and traders are waiting in the hope that affordable trucks will be available to transport their sweet pumpkins, said the farmers with frustration.   Deputy Director of Thakurgaon District Agriculture Extension Department (DAE),  Aftab Hossain said sweet pumpkins have been cultivated in 1,200 hectares in the district this time.   Besides, production has been recorded at 24,000 tons which is the highest in the country, said the official.   He said transportation costs have doubled, so now the pumpkins are being sold at Tk 3/4 per kgin the district itself. Selling at this price will not benefit the farmer.   However, he said that sweet pumpkins do not rot easily, can be stored. So if special trains could be arranged for transporting pumpkins, the transportation problem would be solved and they could be sold in the more lucrative markets of the capital and elsewhere.   In order to aid farmers, the district administration has added one sweet pumpkin to each relief package during the corona situation.