BDR eyes reasonable prices by Jan

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Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Director General (DG) Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed Thursday said prices of essentials have become stable now and would come to a reasonable level by December or January next, reports UNB.
"The prices were at an exorbitant level at the beginning of the 'Ramadan'. But now they have become stable. And I hope prices will come to a tolerable level by the next December or January," the BDR director general said.
He was addressing a discussion arranged by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) held in the FBCCI conference room.
FBCCI president Mir Nasir Hossain presided over the discussion which was followed by a milad mahfil and iftar party.
Maj Gen Shakil said prices of essentials increased as a result of price hike in the international market as well as political instability in the country.
Referring to the success of BDR-run 'Dal-Bhat operation' and 'Fair Price Shops' to curb price hike of essentials, the BDR chief said there have been some domestic constraints and obstacles in containing the soaring prices.
"There has been supply shortage. And production has also been disrupted by two-phase floods. For these, it is not easy to arrest the price hike immediately. So, the government, traders, all have to work together to attain full success," Gen Shakil said.
He also urged the country's business community to spend their zakat money through providing food to the flood-affected people.
FBCCI leaders, former FBCCI president Yusuf Abdullah Harun and incumbent Director A Rauf Chowdhury also participated in the discussion.
Yusuf Abdullah Harun proposed to create a joint fund of some Tk 2.50 billion (250 crore) by the business community, government and the banks for providing daily essentials to poor and low-income people during the month of Ramadan.
"We can provide daily essentials for the destitute during the Ramadan. We can cover the whole country with a fund of approximately Tk 2.50 billion (250 crore). Availability of such a big amount is not possible to be funded by the business community alone. So the government and the banks can come forward with a helping hand," he said.
Mir Nasir Hossain said criminalisation and indiscipline still exist in the country's marketing system which has become a major obstacle to controlling price hike.
He urged the business community to make reasonable profit as a step to help contain the sky-rocketing prices.