The rising prices of essential consumer goods across the country are not going to be curbed during the corona virus.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Chittagong, a consumer rights organization said that due to lack of supervision by the administration, traders were creating an artificial food crisis without any reason and cutting people's pockets.
In this situation, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Chittagong has demanded the introduction of OMS in the market under the open food department, increasing the sale of food products through TCB and strengthening the integrated market supervision of the administration.
CAB Central Committee Vice President SM Nazer Hossain, CAB Chittagong Divisional General Secretary Kazi Iqbal Bahar Chaberi, CAB Metropolitan President Jasmine Sultana Paru, General Secretary Ajay Mitra Shanku, Joint Secretary Touhidul Islam and CAB Chittagong South District President Abdul Mannan demanded in a statement sent to media on Friday.
CAB leaders said that if the market for essential commodities including rice, pulses and onions became unstable, the Ministry of Commerce, district administration would hold a consultation meeting with traders, consumers and concerned government departments. Now that trend is not running. Market control is now entirely in the hands of traders. The administration has stopped conducting one or two campaigns due to lack of supervision and is informing the government that operations against traders are going on.
In fact, these uninterrupted part-time campaigns are provoking the market rather than influencing it.
CAB leaders further said that when the price of rice goes up, the food department intensifies the sale of food-consumer goods through open market rice sales (OMS), TCB dealers and TCB sales on truck. But over the past few months, his activities have come to a standstill. As a result, ordinary and working people on the one hand are unemployed, lost their income and lost their way. Traders are desperate to make more profit by raising food prices.
On the other hand, people do not have faith in the livelihood of the people by increasing the cost of public transport, antiseptic protection materials, medical services, tests and medicines. The indifference of the concerned departments and administration of the government is causing anger in the minds of the people.
CAB leaders have expressed anger over the retail market over the past month, saying rice, pulses, edible oil (soyabean and palm oil), onions, potatoes, flour, flour, sugar, eggs, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, chicken (Domestic and broiler), mutton meat, powdered milk in baby food is being sold at higher prices Besides, the prices of all kinds of vegetables have gone up. Consumers have lost their way to buy products at higher prices. Traders say there are adequate stocks and supplies of rice and other daily necessities across the country.
The administration says it will take action against them if they manipulate the price of rice.