With Ramadan a little more than a month away, it would do the authorities well to keep an eye on the essentials and act decisively to ensure that the price of daily essentials remains within reach of ordinary citizens. 

Every year, we witness a most troubling pattern: Unscrupulous traders exploiting heightened demand to drive up the cost of staples. For millions of families in our country, this transforms a sacred month of reflection and community into one of anxiety and, even more importantly, deprivation.

This is one of the reasons that our ongoing battle with inflation has been so damaging to the country. Food security should never be a luxury for any nation and is indeed the  most basic responsibility of the state. Nothing is more important than ensuring that every individual in Bangladesh has food to eat. 

Much like with any other crisis, it is the poorest who suffer most and are forced to cut meals or compromise nutrition. It is necessary therefore for the authorities to be pro-active to ensure the situation remains within control, whether that be enforcement against hoarding or timely imports to stabilize markets. 

This is not the time for profiteering, and we expect urgent, transparent measures to be implemented, with market monitoring teams also needing to be visible and active to send a clear signal.

The public must believe that the state stands firmly on the side of the people and is ready to protect them from exploitation during a month that should embody compassion and solidarity. The guarantee that every citizen can afford a simple meal is far more important than any economic growth numbers.