Khosru outlines 5 measures to rein in inflation in parliament

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told parliament today (21 April) that the government has taken five measures to control inflation.

The minister shared this information in response to a written question from Cumilla-9 MP Md Abul Kalam during the parliamentary question-and-answer session.

Khosru said inflationary pressure has persisted in recent years, affecting the purchasing power of ordinary people.

He noted that high inflation has been present since the 2022-23 fiscal year. Food inflation stood at 14.10% in July 2024, which declined significantly to 8.24% in March 2026.

He outlined the government's measures to contain inflation.

"First, the Bangladesh Bank has kept the policy interest rate at 10% to curb excess demand and maintain macroeconomic stability," he said.

Khosru added, "Second, to ensure a steady supply of food and essential commodities, both public and private sector efforts have been strengthened in importing, stocking and managing markets. As of 13 April 2026, the government imported 4 lakh tonnes of rice and 6.08 lakh tonnes of wheat."

"During the same period, private sector imports stood at 7.34 lakh tonnes of rice and 61.60 lakh tonnes of wheat. Government food grain stocks were 18.63 lakh tonnes."

"Third, to ease the cost burden on low- and lower-middle-income groups, family card programmes, allowances, food assistance and other targeted social safety net programmes are ongoing and expanding. In FY2025-26, there are 95 such programmes with a total allocation of Tk1,16,731 crore," he added.

The minister further said, "Fourth, initiatives to support farmers, including irrigation and other assistance programmes, have been strengthened to stabilise food production and supply. The new Family Card system is being gradually expanded, and the Farmer's Card pre-pilot phase was inaugurated by the prime minister on Pahela Boishakh."

"Fifth, to manage external sector pressures, the government has maintained a market-based exchange rate system and strengthened foreign exchange reserve management. As of March 2026, reserves stood at $34.12 billion," he added.

Khosru said these coordinated measures have helped bring inflation down gradually, from 9.13% in February 2026 to 8.71% in March 2026.

However, he noted that ongoing global conditions may create new pressures, adding that the government will continue efforts to keep inflation at a tolerable level.