Control price during Ramadan

The increase in the price of daily essentials during the month of Ramadan is not a new phenomenon; despite government efforts and exhortations, price rise and Ramadan have become two sides of one coin. As per reports, in Barishal, there has been a marked rise in the price of food items. Rice has seen a rise by Tk 6 while vegetables and sugar have seen increase between Tk 5 and 8 respectively. Garlic has seen the notable increase in price, going from Tk 20 to Tk 40 per kg.

Several varieties of popular fruit including mangoes have seen a sharp Tk 50 increase in price. Obviously, this rise will not have adverse impact on the higher middle class but will bite the people who have to manage within a tight budget.

The long term ramification of such arbitrary price hikes is that once the rate goes up, they hardly fall. Unfortunately, many of the price increase are done artificially by traders and sellers to multiply their profit margins.

Regrettably, this trend is visible in the month of Ramadan which signifies the importance of abstinence and moderation. The rise in the markets is not confined to districts alone and the recent picture in Barishal is but a microcosm of what is about to happen in the coming days all over Bangladesh. Faced with abnormal rise in the price of Ramadan period essentials like onions, eggplants and lentils, governments in previous years took the initiative to place price charts in front of all kitchen markets. In some cases where the prices were monitored, the strategy worked, in others, the price list was only a large signboard, making a farce of the whole price control drive.

It’s felt that in order to ensure price conformity, markets should have a monitoring cell with the presence of law enforcers. Dhaka and other major cities may provide Ramadan period market observation kiosks at all kitchen markets. If prices suddenly go up there has to be a prompt investigation to find if this was done deliberately or not. Everything said and done, prices of essentials will only follow a pattern when sellers and traders feel that the spirit of restrain which Ramadan presents should be displayed in their business. An effective way to sensitise people would be through the Friday prayer sermons at all the mosques. Ramadan is about making effort to make life a little less predatory; once this message is understood, kitchen market rates won’t be a cause for consternation.

Control price during Ramadan

The increase in the price of daily essentials during the month of Ramadan is not a new phenomenon; despite government efforts and exhortations, price rise and Ramadan have become two sides of one coin. As per reports, in Barishal, there has been a marked rise in the price of food items. Rice has seen a rise by Tk 6 while vegetables and sugar have seen increase between Tk 5 and 8 respectively. Garlic has seen the notable increase in price, going from Tk 20 to Tk 40 per kg. Several varieties of popular fruit including mangoes have seen a sharp Tk 50 increase in price. Obviously, this rise will not have adverse impact on the higher middle class but will bite the people who have to manage within a tight budget. The long term ramification of such arbitrary price hikes is that once the rate goes up, they hardly fall. Unfortunately, many of the price increase are done artificially by traders and sellers to multiply their profit margins. Regrettably, this trend is visible in the month of Ramadan which signifies the importance of abstinence and moderation. The rise in the markets is not confined to districts alone and the recent picture in Barishal is but a microcosm of what is about to happen in the coming days all over Bangladesh. Faced with abnormal rise in the price of Ramadan period essentials like onions, eggplants and lentils, governments in previous years took the initiative to place price charts in front of all kitchen markets. In some cases where the prices were monitored, the strategy worked, in others, the price list was only a large signboard, making a farce of the whole price control drive. Its felt that in order to ensure price conformity, markets should have a monitoring cell with the presence of law enforcers. Dhaka and other major cities may provide Ramadan period market observation kiosks at all kitchen markets. If prices suddenly go up there has to be a prompt investigation to find if this was done deliberately or not. Everything said and done, prices of essentials will only follow a pattern when sellers and traders feel that the spirit of restrain which Ramadan presents should be displayed in their business. An effective way to sensitise people would be through the Friday prayer sermons at all the mosques. Ramadan is about making effort to make life a little less predatory; once this message is understood, kitchen market rates wont be a cause for consternation.