The government is set to replace the 70 years’ old Pakistan-era law governing the market of essential commodities with a new law. It has also planned to drop the word “control” from the title of the law, “Essential Commodities Control Act, 1956”.

After long preparation, a workshop was held at the Ministry of Commerce on 3 December to finalise the draft.

In Bangladesh, regulation of the essential commodities market still follows the framework inherited from the Pakistan era.

With changes in realities, market structures, product diversity, crisis patterns, hoarding practices and price manipulation, the government has decided to modernise the law.

Following a long process, the proposed new name is “Essential Commodities Act, 2025”. While the word ‘control’ is being dropped from the title, in terms of effectiveness, the government will retain its control powers just as before, only now in a clearer form.