Many businessmen try to earn entire year’s income in Ramadan: Mayor Shahadat
Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain has criticised local traders for causing price instability during Ramadan, stating that many attempt to earn an entire year's income in just one month of Ramadan.
During a visit to Khatunganj, the city's largest wholesale market, today (3 March), the mayor said the authorities are conducting market monitoring and operations to keep essential commodity prices at a reasonable level throughout Ramadan.
Shahadat Hossain noted that in many countries, governments subsidise essential goods during Ramadan as an act of goodwill. "However, in Bangladesh, many traders become restless as the holy month nears, driven by a desire for excessive profits."
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The mayor further accused traders of being obsessed with quick wealth accumulation, stating that they rush to make a year's earnings within a single month during Ramadan.
To prevent artificial price hikes and supply shortages, the city corporation has intensified its market surveillance.
He assured that monitoring efforts would continue and announced that a meeting with oil traders, manufacturers, and other stakeholders would be held on Tuesday.
The purpose of the meeting would be to ensure immediate product distribution and price reduction, with a firm action plan to regulate the market.
Explaining the reason behind his market inspection, the mayor said that in recent days, citizens have complained about the sudden disappearance of edible oil from markets, while the available stock is being sold at inflated prices, ranging from Tk180 to Tk200 per liter.
He confirmed that the inspection had revealed these allegations to be true, as edible oil was virtually unavailable in the market.
Additionally, samples of the available stock were collected for laboratory testing to verify whether they were genuine edible oils.
Authorities have vowed to take strict measures to prevent price manipulation and hoarding, ensuring that consumers can purchase essential goods at fair prices during the holy month.
