GOODS prices have remained high. They have either marked a sharp increase in view of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims, which began on February 19, or remained almost static after having reached highs days, or even weeks, ago. The price increases have either kept many from buying essential goods, especially the ones commonly used to cook food items to break the fast, and forced many others to spend extra, altogether putting the poor or low- and fixed-income people in a tight spot. As for vegetables, the supply shortage attributed by traders to the winter drawing close is given as an excuse for the increase in prices of limes, aubergines, cucumbers, tomatoes, green chillies and some other produce. Whilst beef, mutton, chicken and fish prices increased, prices of chickpeas, gram, sugar and lentils have remained high for the past few weeks. Green chillies marked a sharp price increase by Tk 60–80 a kilogram in two weeks. Lime prices almost doubled although the prices came down a bit in two days of Ramadan. Aubergine prices went up by Tk 40 a kilogram, cucumber prices by Tk 20 a kilogram and tomato prices by Tk 20–40 a kilogram in about two weeks.
Whilst traders attribute the price increase to an increased demand that is typical of Ramadan, with some noting that prices are lower this time than what they were in Ramadan in the past despite ‘a slight increase’ that has taken place over the past few days, consumers complain of an uncomfortable price increase. Some traders, however, seek to say that prices would come down in three to four days. Whilst some traders say that transport costs and wholesale rates are high, which have added to prices on the retail market, the commerce minister, who has acknowledged that it is his ministry that is mainly responsible for keeping the market stable, says that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government had little chance to take any special measures for Ramadan as the government started functioning on the day Ramadan began. But he notes that there have been sufficient stocks of food to keep the market stable. It is, therefore, expected that the ministry would take measures for the remaining days of Ramadan. Even after all this, consumers and experts believe that the government needs to step up market oversight to stop prices from going up.
In addition to market oversight, there are law and order issues that, if properly attended to, can bring down prices. One such major issue is extortion, all the way from farmers to the market, that greatly adds to goods prices. Whilst the government needs to enhance market oversight, it also needs to end extortion, negotiated or forced, in the transport of goods to bring down the prices in the short run.
