Govt intervention has tamed prices of essentials: PM Hasina to JS
Prices of essentials soared significantly worldwide due to Covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war, says the premier
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that the prices of essential commodities have come down significantly due to the ongoing fair-price sale of these products by the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
She said this while responding to a tabled question from ruling party MP Kazim Uddin Ahmed during the prime minister's question-answer session in the Parliament.
She said that prices of the essentials soared significantly all around the world due to the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
She also mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine war pushed up the fuel price too.
"As a result, prices of essentials have increased in the world market," she said.
The premier, however, said that her pro-people government has taken immediate steps to control the situation and keep the prices under control and at a tolerable level.
"Due to various steps of the government prices of the essentials are now at a logical level," she said.
She also hoped that the prices of the essential items will remain tolerable and affordable during the holy month of Ramadan.
The prime minister said that a one-litre bottle of soybean oil, selling at Tk170 on 1 March, was available at Tk 161.50 on 5 April .
She said during this time the price of loose soybean oil came down to Tk155 per litre from Tk175, while the price of palm oil came down to Tk142 per litre from Tk158.
But the TCB during this time sold bottled soybean at Tk 110 per litre, she said.
The Leader of the House mentioned that lentil price came down to Tk112.50 on 5 April from Tk120 while TCB was selling at Tk65 per kilogram.
Loose sugar was Tk85 per kilogram on 1 March while it was Tk78 on 5 April.
TCB is selling at the price of Tk55 per kilogram, she added.
Sheikh Hasina said that the price of chickpeas was selling at Tk72.50 on 5 April while it was Tk77 on 1 March. TCB is selling this item at Tk50 per kilogram.
Regarding onion price, she said, on 1 March it was selling at Tk60 per kilogram, while on 5 April the price fell to Tk31.50.
The TCB is selling it at Tk20 per kilogram.
