Price control and traders
There is a tendency among us to look down upon traders, industrialists and, in general, people involved in trade and commerce. Historically, trade and commerce have been the foremost and primary occupation of the human race. All other branches, like armed forces, bureaucracy, etc., were formed to safeguard, protect, sustain and enhance commercial activities. All wars were fought to protect or to expand commercial interests. The East India Company used to have its own forces and also was the precursor of the Indian civil service. Jonathan Company of the Netherlands had its own civil-military outfits in South Africa. So, there is no scope or rationality to look down upon 'commerce people'. Recently our commerce minister rightly outlined the policy of the present government towards the traders. We cannot achieve our goal of reducing food prices by intimidating the traders. The policy ought to be to take them into confidence, show them due respect and honour and get the job done. We remember that the Awami League very successfully kept the prices of essentials under control during its last tenure. The government had control and enjoyed the confidence of the 'bazari people'. Revitalizing the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh may not be a good option. Past experience shows that the TCB was never effective in bringing down the prices of essentials. It was rather a hotbed of corruption, inefficiency and only benefited the bureaucrats. The government should be watchful over and helpful toward the markets. It ought to coordinate rather than 'control'. Control is a negative word. It puts the stakeholders on the defensive and also on the offensive. The government can only 'soft control'. We would urge this government to work in tandem with the traders and that will yield good results. We wish the present government all success.
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