Vested interests have deliberately created a volatile situation in the country’s kitchen market, said newly appointed Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police while speaking at a discussion with the representatives of business organisations in the capital Dhaka.
The commissioner also said that the police can stop any malpractice and syndicate in the markets. There is no shortage of goods in the market while adequate goods are available in the stock and supply. There is no reason to create crisis.
We believe if the authorities concerned in association with the members of law enforcement agencies especially are sincere in control the prices of the essentials in the markets, they surely can do it bringing the manipulators to justice. We wonder when we see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself constantly enquiring the price of the essential products, asking the concerned ministries to find out whether there is any problem somewhere, the prices of all essentials continued shooting up abnormally.
Police are active to stop any illegal activities including syndication in the market. They will have to root out any syndicate and any ill motive. As police have ability to remove any syndicate. In this regard the commerce ministry, directorate of national consumer rights protection and city corporations will have to play the key role. Amid the struggle to cope with the skyrocketing price hike of onion and edible oil, a fresh surge in prices of sugar, spices, fish, potatoes and other daily essentials has dealt a further blow to the common people.
Police can stop any malpractice and
syndicate
in the
markets
Besides, the prices of most vegetables have doubled in the capital’s kitchen markets. However, the prices of edible oil have been dropping in the global market gradually for the last few months. So, the latest wave of price hike of daily needs and other food items has further upset the commoners.
Apart from the unholy syndicate, country’s businessmen should do business thinking about their country and its people as the world is going through a crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The lower, lower middle, middle and fixed income groups’ people especially day-labourers, rickshaw-pullers, drivers or housemaids are the worst sufferers from essentials price hike.
They are facing serious financial hardship as running families have now become unbearable for them. No one will understand their agonies, common people allege every day, adding prices are skyrocketing although their salaries do not increase every year. Cashing the crisis, an organised syndicate comprising traders and wholesalers are still hiking the prices of everything including daily needs. Though the drives are being conducted by mobile courts and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, the indentified members of this unholy nexus remain still untouched.
Against the backdrop of the impacts of the global economic situation when the government is trying hard to keep the prices of essential commodities at a minimum level through ensuring stabilisation of economy, some corporate houses, dishonest millers, hoarders and traders together are making the essentials market volatile deliberately. Various apprehensions are coming to the light and hatching conspiracy starts in this regard recently. Therefore, the prices of essential commodities are going up due to the excessive greed of traders. So, it is not possible to arrest the prices of daily essentials by only taking measures, making statements or warning issues instead of getting tough on the greedy traders. The organised unholy syndicate’s members, who are benefiting from the price hike, are also making the government controversial. If the government does not get tough on the organised thugs and syndicate is not broken, the prices of daily essential will not come down.
