The government has been taking vigorous of preparations to control the market by maintaining supply of daily necessities for the upcoming month of Ramadan so that people can easily buy daily essentials during the holy month of Ramadan.
TCB card holders will definitely get TCB goods once a month. The government will sell the goods through truck for low income people, according to the commerce ministry.
Apart from the government, country’s apex trade body Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in a recent meeting with the business community has also called upon the businessmen to keep the supply of essential items and prices normal during the month of Ramadan.
But, it is unfortunate that the entire business community is getting a bad name due to the dishonesty of a section of businessmen. We people do not want to hear anything like businessmen are dishonest, and they are engaged in any syndicate.
We think businessmen should do business with honesty. The mill owners, wholesalers, and retailers must not create the unstable situation.
So, it is now high time to frame the policies by the businessmen, not by the bureaucrats. As the Ramadan is ahead, some unscrupulous businessmen are trying to increase the price of commodities.
Entire business community
is getting a bad name due
to the dishonesty of a
section of businessmen
It is unnecessary, to add to the miseries of people by increasing prices of essentials when they will fast in the holy month of Ramadan and offer prayers. Therefore, we hail the measures and co-ordinated effort taken by the government and FBCCI in advance to keep the prices of essential commodities stable ahead of Ramadan.
These measures can only bring down the skyrocketing prices of essentials. People fume as essentials price hike continued.
We have noticed that price hike in essentials ahead of Ramadan has become a regular phenomenon despite the government stops. It is very unfortunate that when we see various commodities like chicken, beef and mutton, fish, brinjal, garlic, onions and zinger become costly without any obvious reason at the beginning of Ramadan.
Besides, prices of most of the important items consumed during Ramadan, such as green chilli, cucumber, edible oil, eggs, fish, potatoes, lentils, chick pea and vegetable also rise sharply. An organised syndicate comprising unscrupulous traders and hoarders has already raised commodity prices in violation of ministry directives issued to keep prices under people’s purchasing power. Soaring prices of essentials cause a great deal of hardship to low-income people during Ramadan.
We have also noticed that a blame game between the wholesalers and retailers surfaces at the start of the holy Ramadan every year.
We think authorities concerned and business bodies should keep a strict vigil to prevent profiteering by the dishonest traders and take immediate action against those who will violate the norms. We believe this time government and FBBCI’s measures might work at any cost.
In this regard, mobile courts can be run by judicial or metropolitan magistrates across the country everyday in order to foil any plot to increase the prices of essentials. These courts may prove to be an effective tool in curbing the rising wave of essentials’ price.
The authorities concerned must prevent those who make advantage of the situation and ensure free flow of vehicles supplying essential commodities during the holy month. As the market syndicate is responsible for such unethical and immoral activities, their identification should be disclosed and bring them to the book.
We hope that these dishonest traders engaged in storing essential commodities with a view to making huge profit and thus contribute to increase prices, will get punishment this time.