Price hike before Ramzan
Muslims around the world are preparing for the upcoming month of Ramzan. Like previous years, prices of essentials has been increasing rapidly prior to the holy month. The price of rice, chickpea, locally grown garlic, onion, puffed rice, various summer fruits, pulses, spices, sugar, and oil have already been hiked by some traders. These products have now gone beyond the reach of the poor and the lower middle class. This unethical trade practice is in sharp contrast to the spirit of Ramzan. The rising price of food items appears to be the outcome of the concerned government authorities’ inability to respond to the worrying trend of market manipulation. Unscrupulous traders have become habituated to increasing the prices of food items during Ramzan and continue to take advantage of the high demand of certain food items during this season, while blaming other factors for their immoral practice.
Although in the past, we have seen the government intervene by fixing the price of some essential food items, in the absence of any effective monitoring system and vigilance, unscrupulous traders increased the prices of essential food items. The Commerce Minister has stated that the supply of all food items that are widely consumed during the month of Ramzan is more than enough to meet the expected demand. We only hope that the related ministries ensure that this Ramzan is an exception and consumers are allowed a reprieve from unethical price rise of food essentials.
Zubair Khaled Huq
Dhaka (On email).
