Soaring inflation and everyday strain

Bangladesh's position as the country with the highest inflation in South Asia is no longer just a statistic. It has become a daily struggle for ordinary people. Official figures show inflation hovering near 9.0 per cent, but behind these numbers are families cutting meals, postponing treatment and slipping quietly into debt.

In city markets, buyers now calculate more than they bargain. A rickshaw-puller reduces the quantity of vegetables; a salaried worker skips medical checkups to manage rent and school fees. In rural areas, daily labourers spend most of their wages on rice alone, turning fish, meat and even healthcare into luxuries.

While remittance inflows and foreign reserves are often highlighted, their impact is barely felt at the household level. Prices do not fall simply because macro indicators improve. At the same time, declining export earnings, especially in garments, are squeezing workers' incomes, making inflation even harder to bear.

Inflation today is reshaping diets, health choices and education decisions. Economic success should be judged not only by reserves or growth figures, but by whether families can afford basic necessities without fear. Until then, the markets will keep telling a harsher truth than any headline.

Arjita Sutradhar

Student

Mass Communication and Journalism

University of Dhaka