Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has said Bangladeshi consumers do not make complaints about high commodity prices while those abroad are very much conscious about this issue.
"If people become conscious and they themselves monitor the price situation and make complaints, we can take proper actions," he added.
The adviser was briefing the media after a meeting of the Advisers' Council Committee on Government Purchase at the cabinet division at the secretariat in the capital on Wednesday.
In the case of Bangladesh, Dr Ahmed said, "Our people have high tolerance capacity. They go to the market, buy commodities and get back home."
"But consumers abroad are very much conscious. They register complaints (if commodity prices found high)," he continued.
"Look at India. When prices go up, they protest. I'm not telling here (in Bangladesh) to protest, at least they can make complaints," said the adviser.
Dr Ahmed blamed a complex system in the market for raising commodity prices.
About administrative monitoring at mill gates alongside retail level, he said if raids were made at every stage, the situation would deteriorate further. "We want they make business, not excessive profit."
The meeting, chaired by the finance adviser, approved the procurement of two cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 120,000 tonnes of fertiliser amid the growing local demand.
As approved, Petrobangla will buy one LNG cargo from M/S Total Energies Gas and Power Limited, Switzerland, at a price of Tk 6.72 billion with each MMBtu costing $14.25.
Under another proposal, it will import another cargo from the same company at a total price of Tk 6.54 billion. Each MMBtu LNG will cost $13.87.
The meeting gave the go-ahead to the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation to import 30,000 tonnes of TSP from OCP Nutricrops SA, Morocco, at Tk 1.52 billion with each tonne of fertiliser costing $423.50.
The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) has been allowed to buy 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea from Qatar Energy Marketing at a total cost of Tk 1.22 billion.
Each tonne of fertiliser will cost the BCIC $339.33.
The BCIC will also buy 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Limited (KAFCO) at a total price of Tk 1.20 billion with per tonne of fertiliser costing $333.88.
It has been further allowed to import 30,000 tonnes of the same from SABIC Agri-nutrient Company, Saudi Arabia, at Tk 1.22 billion costing each tonne $339.33.
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