Commerce Advisor Sk Bashir Uddin reassured the public that there is no shortage of rice in the market. He emphasized that both the country's rice reserves and local production are more than adequate, particularly with the Aman season in full swing. "There is no logical reason for the current high prices of rice," he said. "We are trying to understand the situation, and to us, it seems unreasonable. We expect prices to fall in the coming days."
Bashir Uddin made these remarks during the launch of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh’s (TCB) product sale program at Begunbari Deepika intersection in Dhaka on Wednesday morning. He noted that the prices of Nazirshail and Miniket rice, in particular, have increased significantly. Furthermore, he observed that price hikes at the wholesale level are much steeper than at the retail level.
The Commerce Advisor also stated that the Ministry of Commerce is working to liberalize imports to help stabilize the market. "We have already liberalized potato imports, leading to a sharp reduction in potato prices," he explained. "It seems that temporary hoarding is contributing to the price increase."
Bashir Uddin added that discussions are underway with the Governor of Bangladesh Bank and the Chairman of TCB to implement import-focused measures aimed at improving the market supply system. Extensive preparations for increasing imports are already underway, and he believes this will result in lower rice prices. "Those who are hoarding rice are profiting temporarily at the expense of consumers," he said.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
