Price controlling initiatives to continue: State minister

The government will continue efforts to keep commodity prices within the reach of people for the rest of the year like that during Ramadan, State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu has said. 

"As the market was managed in the month of Ramadan, it will be done in the same way throughout the year," he told an Eid greetings exchange meeting at the secretariat on Monday. 

He said the government is trying to strengthen the supply chain. Imported commodities, including oil and sugar, will be monitored alongside consumer rights issues.   

"People across the country celebrated Eid and Pahela Baisakh with relief this year. There was enthusiasm among people to celebrate these two festivals as commodity prices were normal," Titu said.  

Meanwhile, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed has said, "The joy of Eid and Pahela Baishakh has been washed away by the tears of common people because of commodity price spirals." 

Refuting it, Titu said he noticed a state of relief and a festive mood among the commoners during his five-day state at his village home during the Eid holidays.  

"Everyone celebrated Eid with enthusiasm. In addition, this year's Bengali new year was celebrated not only in Dhaka city but also in the villages, where fairs were held with enthusiasm."

The state minister thinks that Rizvi's comments might have been just political rhetoric. 

With regard to the government initiative to address the gulf of difference in vegetable prices between rural areas and the capital, he said the Department of Agricultural Marketing knows it better and the Ministry of Commerce is working to improve market management.

Similarly, the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of Agriculture will implement the government decision for marking rice sacks with the name of the variety, he also said.