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IT is a common trend that the government always fails to control the increasing trend of prices of essential commodities. On the occasion of Shabe Barat, the prices of the items used to prepare Halua shot up. As the month of Ramzan is near, people are also likely to see another big jolt in the price level.
Behind most of the spiral of prices, cost of transportation and hoarding of goods by unscrupulous traders can be traced. If the government can control these two issues, the behaviour of the price level -- as compared between the previous and present prices -- could have been better.
For the increase in the transportation cost, political parties, mainly the ruling ones, are responsible first. The number of toll collections by their activists as well as law enforcing agents has increased manifold. Taking advantage of this, businessmen and traders increase the prices and try to manipulate the market through hoarding.
People still believe that frequent visits by the vigilance teams can improve the situation a lot. There is a list of all-city hats and bazaars and the government has many mechanisms to increase patrolling. The market situation could have easily been brought under control using an inspection team like in the cases of the drives being carried out to improve food safety. But before that the government has to have a fruitful meeting with all concerned to fix up the prices.
Momtaz Begum
Purana Paltan
Dhaka
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