The government will beef up market monitoring ahead of the Ramadan to ensure that prices of necessary commodities don’t skyrocket. Commerce and home ministry sources said that several teams comprising personnel from four intelligence agencies would be carrying out the task.
In addition to monitoring price, the teams will make sure that “fake crisis” of products is not created.
“The intelligence agencies work together every year to monitor the market,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told Bangla Tribune.
“These teams will soon be deployed. They will inform the respective authorities if they find any problems and steps will be taken accordingly,” he added.
A commerce ministry official said that a total of 14 teams have been engaged in monitoring the market across the capital since 2007.
He added that each team is comprised of members with representatives from agriculture, industry, food and home ministries, city corporations, district administration, FBCCI, Bangladesh Tariff Commission and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). They will be aided by police, RAB and Ansar members.
“They also operate mobile courts against irregularities in addition to meeting with the businessmen,” he said.
A survey of the market revealed that the prices of a few everyday necessities have already gone up.
Prices of onions which used to be between Tk 22 to 24 per kg have gone up to Tk 28.
Meanwhile, supply of fish and winter vegetables are on the decline and summer vegetables are not in the market yet. As a result the prices have shot through the roof.
“We had to hike the prices as the wholesale market has done it,” said Mizanur Rahman, a retailer from Jatrabari.
“Prices will go up if the supply doesn’t meet the demands,” said Kawranbazar kitchen market businessman Shafiqul Islam Lal Mia.
He said that so far such a problem has not yet come up but it has to be monitored that no one can stock up illegally.
“The prices of commodities will remain within people’s budget throughout the year, not just Ramadan,” said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.
He added that all the government agencies will work together to ensure that there is no chaos in the market.
The commerce ministry on the other hand is planning to reform the 14 existing committees saying that many of the chiefs have either been promoted or retired.