BUSINESS leaders at a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Saturday blamed continued extortion by a section of law enforcers and musclemen backed by political parties as the major cause of price hike of essentials ahead of Ramzan. Media reports said they sought the help of the Home Minister to check toll collection by a section of the law enforcers on Roads and Highways. When police stops transports and realize money there is no other place to seek protection. Also most critical is the mugging by musclemen under the shelter of ruling party men. When police keep away from coming to protection of traders in the market, shoppers in the mall and vendors on the footpaths, they are really helpless.
Their blame game that mobile courts and BSTI inspector’s frequent raids in the markets during Ramzan are bringing them more harassment is also misleading. They showed their resentment saying they keep away from the market in other months of the year now harassing them asking for quality of the commodities; what means payment on framed charges in plain words. But what the business leaders did not say is that they also create artificial supply shortage in the market, escalate prices and force people to pay manifold for some commodities. This is no less extortion than what they blame about muggers in the streets and police on highways.
It is visible from the sudden surge in the prices of essentials like garlic, onion or sugar over the last one month before Ramzan. The market saw sudden rise in the prices of major commodities with rumors that most commodities in the market are in short supply and that their price will surge during Ramzan. People make their rush to market to collect supply and traders minted illegal fortune. So it is not to blame as to whether muggers, musclemen or some policemen are exporting and that traders are their victims. In our view the blame game is a routine practice ahead of Ramzan almost every year when the parties take away their advantage. The Minister for Commerce or the Home Minister makes all sorts of promises but muggers and traders remain unchecked.
Our concern is how to protect the market and the common people from both extortionists – be it in uniform or otherwise as well as from importers and retailers who artificially create supply shortage and force people to buy at exorbitant price. We would ask the authorities concerned that meetings and assurances alone will not work. Corruption and lawlessness must be held in check and muggers and market manipulators must be punished.
