The government is all set to launch a new hotline for consumers so they can share real-time information on the prices of essential commodities.
An extra digit will be added to the national hotline number 333 to this end.
Accordingly, the authorities concerned will provide a code by this month.
State minister for post, telecoms and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak made the disclosures at the consultation meeting on Monday.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the event styled 'Ensuring greater transparency in market rates and bringing about innovative changes through digitisation'.
The meeting was organised in the conference room of the Department of Post and Telecommunications at the secretariat with the participation of market stakeholders.
Mr Palak called for harnessing the full potential of technology to monitor market prices of daily products.
Post and telecoms secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman chaired the event where a2i senior policy adviser Anir Chowdhury and Bangladesh Shop Owners Association president Helal Uddin were present.
Representatives from consumer rights groups and business agencies, including TCB, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation, S Alam Group, City Group, Meghna Group, Pran, Agora, Meena Bazar and Shwapno also attended the event.
Mr Palak said, "We've discussed that correct information on indicators like production, storage, marketing and import of any product can be collected and shared among ourselves."
The telecoms ministry wants to contribute to control and monitoring of market by using digital technology.
"We want to provide real-time information on production, storage, marketing and import of products to commerce ministry through call centre."
Ahead of Ramadan, they will allocate a digit after the call centre 333, where any citizen can call and provide any information on any products, including potato, chickpea, onion or vegetable, to know whether they are being sold at the government-fixed prices.
He said a consumer could supply information or complaint about any product and provide suggestions through the hotline.
"When the consumer finds that the price is higher than complaints will be transferred to the consumer rights to take action," he said.
Consumers only know about the stock information of government warehouses, according to Mr Palak, saying that they do not know about any stock of private warehouses.
A website will also be opened under the 'Food for Nation' initiative of commerce ministry, which will contain information on production and stocks of products.
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