People are not getting any respite from sufferings due to soaring prices of essential commodities, including rice, edible oil, sugar and other essentials despite having availability of the items in the market. So, whenever prices abnormally go up, people complain about business syndicates manipulating the market and getting away with unreasonable profits.
Indeed, there is no sector in the country where syndicates are not active. Their strong presence are also found in road and highways, waterways, migration of workers, human trafficking. Experts said syndications are possible only if trade is controlled by powerful but unscrupulous people who have strong connections with the ruling party regime. There is no commodity that has not registered an atrocious price escalation by the recent wee hour announcement of price hikes of fuel oils.
A news report of The New Nation on Tuesday said the consumer goods market has already reached a pinnacle. Due to this, the price of eggs is also increasing by leaps and bounds. According to an investigation report, it is learnt that powerful syndicates are fixing the price of eggs after a meeting every night. In return, they take 15 percent commission from the poultry farm owners. The poultry farm owners also sell eggs at the price fixed by the syndicates. As per the report, there are two syndicates – one in Savar and another in Tejgaon, Dhaka. In response to a question of fixing egg prices, one of the syndicate members said prices are determined on the basis of high price of chicken feed and other things. Currently, he said the cost of running a farm has gone up. As a result, many farms have already been closed. Due to this, production has decreased but the demand increased. This is why the price of eggs has increased.
The truth is not just eggs the market system is in the siege of the syndicates and government cannot touch them for the reason they are part of its muscle power.
Experts have called for cracking down on syndicates of traders as they hike the prices of essentials taking various excuses. In this context, they said ministers, ruling party leaders often talks about the government’s efforts to break these syndicates, but the syndicates are never identified. And they always remain out of reach. As they are part of government’s muscle power.
