The commerce ministry will sit with stakeholders in a bid to craft strategies to keep cattle prices and supply stable as Eid-ul-Azha is drawing nearer.
It will also discuss ways to prevent extortion from cattle-carrying vehicles on highways, a ministry official said on Tuesday.
Importers, retailers, wholesalers, government officials and trade leaders will attend the meeting today (Wednesday) at the ministry with commerce minister Tipu Munshi in the chair.
The matter of stabilising prices of key kitchen items like onion, garlic, ginger and spice ahead of the feast of sacrifice is also on the agenda.
The ministerial move came as prices of essentials, including onion, green chilli, egg and vegetable, are spiralling due to flooding countrywide, sources said.
Commodities, especially vegetable, have become pricier in the couple of weeks largely due to inundated croplands, they motioned.
People on low incomes are bearing the brunt of an unusual hike in the prices of some key kitchen items, particularly onion, the sources added.
"We'll discuss necessary strategies to control galloping prices of onion and other key essential goods," a high official of the ministry told the FE.
Besides, stringent actions will be taken to prevent extortion of cattle-laden trucks on roads and highways.
Sources concerned said the government must act promptly to check onion prices as people are suffering for its failure to curb onion hoarding.
Onion prices in kitchen markets may increase further during Eid-ul-Azha, said traders of Karwanbazar, Nawabganj and Moulvibazar.
They called foe the government to take special measures to supply adequate onion in the markets to contain the recent rising prices of onion.
According to the official data, the annual demand for onion is over 2.4 million tonnes.
Last week, beef prices increased notably followed by egg, chilli and vegetables, much to the woes of the commoners.
Later, the trade assistant advisory committee formed by commerce ministry would hold a meeting in the conference room of the ministry.
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