Soaring price in kitchen market

It was the first day of the holy month of Ramadan and I went to the kitchen market to buy my weekly requirements. The prices of everything were up suddenly. Cucumber was Tk.60 per kg instead of Tk.30 a few days ago, brinjal was being sold at Tk.100 per kg. The prices of other vegetables were also abnormally high. Fish, Beef and chicken were no exception. Fixed income people are going to be affected by the sudden price hike. As a member of the middle class, I had to curtail my shopping list as my budget did not allow me to buy everything I need. Before the Ramadan the government has pledged time and again that the prices of everyday essentials would remain stable during this Ramadan, but in reality has not happened so.

Many dishonest traders are increasing the prices according to their will. It is a common experience in our country as the government does not have any control over the market and as such the sufferings of the common people know no bounds. The unscrupulous traders are aware that people will buy some items even at a much higher price during Ramadan and they take advantage of the situation and make excessive profit which at the cost of innocent people. I hope, the Ministry of Commerce will devise a permanent strategy to keep commodity prices under control during Ramadan every year and stop the same hardships being repeated in the lives of middle class of the country.

Rahmatullah Sumon

Middle Badda, Dhaka