The government’s promise of containing the prices of essentials ahead of Ramadan seems to be only on paper as the prices of key items instead rose over the last month.

The industries ministry has backtracked on its decision to hike the price of sugar produced by state-run sugar mills.

The Bangladesh Poultry Association has blamed extortion on roads and syndicates for the recent price hike of eggs and chicken.

Though there is currently no supply crunch in the country, a section of unscrupulous importers and traders have already hiked the prices of essentials, creating an artificial crisis to make extra profits ahead of Ramadan, said a home ministry report.

Commerce minister, in parliament, says task force formed to regulate prices during Ramadan

Mohammad Shahid looked at the shopkeeper in Karwan Bazar in disbelief after hearing that a kg of onions was selling for Tk 120.

"We discussed the import of perishable items from India. We have discussed in detail so that we get 50,000 tonnes of onion and 1 lakh tonnes of sugar before Ramadan."

The National Board of Revenue yesterday cut customs tariffs on rice, sugar and dates and removed the value added tax on edible oil imports in an effort to help the government boost supply and contain prices of the four commodities during Ramadan next month.

Former foreign minister AK Abdul Momen today in parliament said some criminals in his constituency are regularly extorting money from essentials laden trucks

Aiming to rein in the runaway price of potatoes, the government has approved the import of 34,000 metric tonnes of potatoes through the Hili land port from India.

Day labourer Azizul Haque was upset to see the price of papaya when he went to do grocery shopping yesterday: it has doubled in a space of a few days.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities concerned to cut import duties on rice, edible oil, sugar and dates ahead of the upcoming Ramadan.

The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to form a high-powered committee to investigate the unusual hikes in prices of all types of agricultural commodities, identify the persons responsible, and submit a report within a month.

It is peak harvest season, but the price of onion has soared by Tk 10 per kilogram at the capital’s kitchen markets over the last three days.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today sounded a strong warning against hoarders and market manipulators

With Ramadan less than two months away, the prices of chickpeas, dried peas, dates, and soybean oil have increased in Dhaka and Chattogram.

The price of rice has not gone down in Dhaka’s kitchen markets despite government warnings of legal action against traders.

Rice traders and mill owners yesterday promised to reduce prices after Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said legal action would be taken against them if they do not cut rice prices within the next four days.  

With the harvesting of Aman crops, the prices of BR-28, Paijam, Guti and aromatic rice were supposed to decrease. Instead, the rice prices have gone up by Tk 2-8 per kg in the last 10 days in Dhaka’s kitchen markets.

Sixteen traders were fined Tk 68,000 for selling onions at higher prices, storing, and not showing price list in the port city today