While addressing the DC Conference-2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered all concerned, particularly the field level administration to go tough on illegal hoarding of commodities and food adulteration as a section of businessmen generally increase prices of essentials during the holy month of Ramadan. The deputy commissioners (DCs) have been asked to keep vigil against unscrupulous traders who become desperate to make a quick buck by creating artificial crisis of essential items.
We think the DCs must take effective measures to taming the price hike of essential commodities and check food adulteration. The DCs have also to make sure that consumers are not harassed anywhere. Tougher legal actions will have to be taken against hoarders, dishonest businessmen and vested elements involved in making the country’s kitchen market volatile.
Businessmen should do business thinking about their country and its people as the world is going through a crisis due to the impact of Russia-Ukraine and Palestine-Israel war and the Covid-19 pandemic. The current crisis is not meant for Bangladesh, rather it is an international crisis.
Prices of essentials have shot up as supply chain has broken due to ongoing global crisis. The low and fixed income group people, particularly day-labourers are the worst sufferers from the price hike.
On the other hand, an organised syndicate comprising traders and wholesalers are still hiking the prices of daily necessities. Though drives are being conducted by mobile courts and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, the members of the syndicate remain still untouched.
As a result, they have become desperate to make profit in unethical way. It is very unfortunate that when the people are passing through hard days, some elements have extended all-out support to different organised syndicates, instigating them to deepen the crisis further.
Against the backdrop of the impacts of the global economic situation when the government is trying hard to keep the prices of essential commodities stable, some corporate houses, dishonest millers and hoarders together are making the essentials market volatile.
The prices of essential commodities are going up due to the excessive greed of traders. We think it is not possible to arrest the prices of daily essentials by only taking measures, making statements or issuing warning instead of getting tough on the greedy traders.
The organised syndicate’s members, who are benefiting from the price hike, are also making the government controversial. If all concerned do not get tough on the organised thugs and the syndicate is not broken, the prices of daily essentials will not come down.
Besides, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) must be strengthened and the rampant extortion by the influential quarter in the transport sector will have to be stopped to tame the price hike. There is no alternative to getting tough on the syndicates who are responsible for creating unrest in the kitchen market.
A good sense should prevail upon the businessmen and they must pay heed to the prime minister’s call. We hope that they (businessmen) will sell all the essential commodities at fair prices across the country during Ramadan.
