The government has convened an emergency meeting with the stakeholders this month after the prices of some essential commodities shot up, officials said.
The ministry of commerce (MoC) is going to sit with the stakeholders on January 23 aimed at devising plan for strengthening market monitoring drive through increasing logistic support to the monitoring teams.
"We are going to hold an emergency meeting on January 23 with the stakeholders to review the stock and price situation of essential commodities on the market," an official of the ministry of commerce, who is involved with the process, told the FE.
He said that the commerce ministry has requested officials of the ministries of agriculture, food, industries, home affairs, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC), representatives of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to participate in the upcoming meeting at the MoC.
Meanwhile, the country's apex trade body has suggested gearing up the government's vigilance and monitoring activities for containing the prices of essential commodities and keep those at the tolerable level for the consumers.
"The government should reinforce its vigilance and market monitoring drive for checking the prices of essential commodities on the market," president of the FBCCI Md Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) told the FE.
He said that the recent flash flood has partially damaged crops in some areas of the country that led to the price hike in some essential commodities.
He, however, expressed the hope that prices of commodities like rice and onion will come down at a tolerable level soon as the yield of winter crops is good.
The Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has suggested the government incorporate consumers into the decision-making process to help check the prices of essential commodities.
Adviser of CAB M Shamsul Alam suggested the inclusion or participation of consumers in the decision-making process, which can help rein in the prices of essential commodities.
The consumers have expressed their frustration over the prices of some essential commodities.
They called upon the government to take some effective measures for controlling the prices of essential commodities in the markets.
"We call upon the government to control the prices of essential commodities so that our plights can be minimised," M Rasheduzzaman, a private service holder, told the FE.
Prices of different varieties of rice are now selling at high prices on the markets.
Coarse variety of rice sold between Tk 44 and Tk 46 per kg in the city markets on Thursday, showing an increase of 23.29 per cent over the last year.
A kg of general quality of Najir/ minicate rice depending on their quality sold between Tk 58 and Tk 68, registering an increase of 26.92-30.43 per cent over the last one year.
Loose atta was selling between Tk 28 and Tk 35 a kg, showing an annual increase of 12.50 per cent over the last one year.
Onion sold from Tk 65 to Tk 75 a kg, which has increased 180 per cent over the last 12 months, according to market price data prepared by the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) on Thursday.
However, the prices of winter vegetables are now within the means of consumers.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com