Law enforcers, mobile court to monitor essentials' prices

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FE Report
The government has taken initiatives to keep the prices of essential commodities, particularly vegetables and fishes, at a tolerable level in the capital during the holy month of Ramadan.
Under the measures, the retailers in the kitchen markets in the city have been asked to keep vouchers of the commodities purchased from the wholesalers in order to check unusual rise in prices.
Besides, the law enforcers and mobile court will monitor the wholesale and retail prices and conduct drive against the sale of adulterated food and weigh manipulation during the Ramadan.
The decisions were made at a meeting between the government and wholesalers and retailers in Dhaka Wednesday.
Traders from the city's big wholesale and retail markets, including Karwan Bazar, Jatrabari and New Market in Dhaka were present in the meeting held at the secretariat in the city.
Presided over by the Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Adviser, Anwarul Iqbal, LGRD Secretary Safar Raj, Home Secretary Abdul Karim, BDR Director (operation and training) Colonel Abdul Halim, RAB Director General Hasan Mahmud and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Naiem Ahmed, President of the Dhaka City Fish and Kitchen Market Small Traders Association Anwar Hossain Shikder and Chairman of the Dhaka Fish Market Wholesales' and Traders' Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Debandu Rai Bhulubabu were present among others at the meeting.
Blaming middlemen for the unusual price hike of essentials, some traders opined that if the government could control their intervention in the market and monitor strictly, the prices of vegetables and fishes would come down.
Besides, leaders of the small traders claimed the vegetable wholesalers in the city charge extra Tk 1.0- 2.0 per kilogram (Kg) from the retail traders.
The wholesalers, however, promised not to charge extra price from the retail traders.
About the sale of adulterated foods, especially the "Ifter" items, during the Ramadan, Home Secretary Abdul Karim said the mobile court will strictly monitor the market and if any irregularity is found the law enforcers will take action.
The authorities can fine Tk 5000 to Tk 50,000 or award one year imprisonment for adulterating food items, the home secretary said.
When some retailers claimed that the wholesalers manipulate the weight while selling their products to the retailers, The LGRD adviser said the law enforcers and teams from the Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) will inspect weigh bars at the markets to control manipulation.