The government directed the traders Thursday to display price charts of all essential commodities in front of their shops for the customers.
The government will take tough legal actions including temporary suspension of licence of traders and seize their goods for violation of the order, a ministry of commerce (MoC) directive said.
Besides, the government also asked the traders to provide genuine vouchers to the customers according to the directive.
The directive will come into force simultaneously across the country including Dhaka city.
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) under the MoC and market monitoring teams of every district administration will monitor the price charts of essential items regularly.
The ministry of commerce (MoC) held an emergency meeting with the importers and wholesale businessmen of ginger, gram, lentils and dabli at the ministry on the day to review the stock, supply and price situation of the essential items in the country ahead of Ramadan.
Prices of essentials will remain stable in the coming months, particularly during Ramadan, the month of fasting for the Muslims, as the country has sufficient stock and supply of the items, the traders assured at the MoC meeting.
There is no possibility of price hike and artificial crisis of essentials in the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, the traders told the meeting.
A high official of the MoC said they have called the representatives of both wholesalers and importers to discuss the issue.
He expressed the hope that all the traders would start displaying charts within one or two days.
ATM Mortuza Reza Chowdhury, Additional Secretary of the MoC, presided over the meeting.
Dr Md Ruhul Amin, Additional Secretary of the MoC, Brigadier General Sarwar Jahan Talukdar, ndc. psc, chairman of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Md Abul Hossain Mian, director general (DG) of DNCRP, representatives from the Bangladesh Bank, Tariff Commission, intelligence agencies, Shyam Bazar, Karwan Bazar and Katungong traders associations and importers were present at the meeting.
