District Administration sales centres were opened in Chattogram under six Land Office circles, including Riazuddin Bazar, Boxirhat, Pahartoli kitchen market, Patenga Steel Mill Bazar, Boddarhat kitchen market and no.2 gate Karnaphuli kitchen market, to ensure the availability of essential products at affordable price.
Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram, Farida Khanom, inaugurated one of the sales centres at Riazuddin Bazar on Thursday morning by distributing onions, soybean oil, potatoes, pointed gourds, bottle gourds, raw papayas, and eggs at affordable prices to the consumers.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Kamruzzaman, Senior Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md Rajib Hossain, Senior Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md Alauddin, Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Shahid Ishraq and other officials were present at that time.
Affordable markets were also opened in each upazila of the district. The Deputy Commissioner said that the sales centers will remain open every day from morning until 8 PM until the prices of essential commodities are brought to a reasonable level.
After the inauguration of the sales centre, Farida Khanom said we have established affordable markets at six key points, including Riazuddin Bazar, the heart of business and trade in Chattogram city. This initiative by the district administration aims to reduce the rising prices of commodities. After the inauguration of the sales center, a line of customers has formed. We have created a price list, reducing the price of each product by Tk 10 to Tk 20 compared to the market prices. While the price of a dozen eggs outside is Tk 150, we are providing them at Tk 135 per dozen.
She said to reduce the prices of commodities, a special task force consisting of 10 members was formed by the Ministry of Commerce on October 10. We conducted 89 drives since October 10 till now. In these drives, we fined a total of Tk 21,89,500 to 350 individuals and filed 249 cases.
The prices of commodities went out of reach of lower and working-class people. Reducing the prices of essential goods is our main objective. We have the support of honest traders and everyone else. Due to our ongoing market monitoring and operations, the prices of essential products decreased somewhat. Recently, continuous rain and flooding affected crop yields in various areas. Prices typically rise during this time of year, and unscrupulous traders often manipulate prices through syndicates. If all stakeholders come together for a coordinated effort, we can soon bring the prices of essential goods within the reach of the general public. We will continue our operations with the relevant departments, agencies, and student coordinators until the prices of essential commodities come within the affordability of the general public, she added.
