Price rise

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EVEN coarse rice is now selling unthinkably at Taka 22-24 per kg. The prices of such varieties of rice were between Taka 16-18 last year. Thus, the hardships of poor people know no bounds.
It is well known that the price of rice going up creates the spur for the similar raising of prices and charges by the sellers of different categories of products and services respectively as a sort of compensation mechanism for buying the basic food at higher prices.
Already, unofficially but credibly, the rate of inflation has crossed the double digit mark. This has been a unique negative development in this country in decades. Its adverse implication for poverty alleviation should be obvious. There are fears among all concerned about inflation, without a break at this stage, climbing up further next year, amid suffering of the people.
These are very worrying developments that dictate the urgency of going all-out for price control though even the experts know that this is no easy task. But since the present government is above the influences of vested interest groups and dedicated to working for the public good and relied on to be efficient in accomplishing major tasks, people expect it to immediately address the price issue with effectiveness as it is thought to be doing in the other areas.
M N Huda
Srestha View
Shantinagar, Dhaka