RISING trends of inflation in the country has forced rural people to spend more to buy goods than urban dwellers. A study carried by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics highlighted that the average inflation in rural areas had risen to 6.20 per cent in November. In the same month, the average inflation in the capital stood at 5.59 per cent. The price hike of diesel and kerosene has had an impact on the market. In early November, the government increased the price of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 per litre. As a result, fares of all transports have gone up. This has had an impact on overall inflation. As diesel and kerosene prices have risen, so have transportation costs. Again transport operators are charging extra.
The state-owned agency revealed that prices of almost all types of daily commodities including rice, pulses, and flour are higher in villages than in cities. The people of the village have to spend more money on transportation, medical treatment and furniture. In urban areas, food inflation is 4.37 per cent, while in rural areas it is 5.90 per cent. However, non-food inflation is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. In November, non-food inflation rose to 6.99 per cent in urban areas and 6.78 per cent in rural areas.
According to the BBS, overall inflation in the country rose to 5.98 per cent in November from 5.70 per cent in the previous month. It is widely known that per capita income in urban areas is much higher than the rural areas and poverty is still higher in rural areas. Against this backdrop, the higher prices of food items push many marginal people below the poverty line and they consume less nutritious foods. The urban-rural gap should be addressed in a planned way, otherwise, cities would be resorts of rural people and facilities will be strained.
