The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

In spite of Government's efforts to bring down the price of rice, people are yet to see any change of outlay of the staple food.

"I am very much upset over the price of rice. There is no change in the price of fine rice," said Shahjahan Sipon, a frustrated lower middle class citizen who is concerned over the price rise of the food grain.

The government introduced open market sale (OMS) of coarse rice at subsidised rates from January 9 to ease pressure on lower income people and also to help bring down price of fine rice.

However, the scheme appeared not to be working because there is no change in the fine rice prices and per kilogram of Nazir and Miniket is selling at Tk 10 higher than the price of one-month back.

Price of per kg of coarse rice fall by up to Tk 5 in the recent days, now selling at Tk 30 but fine rice like Nazir and Miniket is selling now at Tk 43 per kg which was sold at Tk 33 one month back.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) said price of per kg of fine rice rose by 13.70 per cent over the month while coarse rice price up by 19.30 per cent.

The two rounds of heavy monsoon floods, followed by Cyclone Sidr, which devastated paddy fields in 11 of the country's 64 districts last year, has exacerbated the food shortage.

The profit-mongering tendency by the dishonest businessmen fuelled the price list.

The government is running OMS programme through 2,000 dealers nationwide for which 25,000 metric tonnes of coarse rice were allocated. Chief Controller of food ANM Shafiul Alam said the OMS programme may continue until April.

Retailers at Badamtali, Karwan Bazar and Mohammadpur Krishi markets - three major wholesale rice markets in Dhaka, which sell mainly locally produced rice, say the price is high because they buy at high rates from the producers.

"We have to sell at a minimum of 12 per cent higher than the rate at which we procure the commodity. Otherwise, we go broke," said Haji Shahadatullah, a retailer at Krishi market.

The president of the Bangladesh Economic Association Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed recently blamed the government for failing to put in place proper market monitoring and not making timely decisions to increase the commodity's supply.

"Although the twin floods which took place more than three months ago cut down on agricultural production, the government has failed to import food grains to create a buffer stock much ahead of the present crisis," Ahmed said.

Quazi Faruk, General Secretary of the Consumers' Association of Bangladesh said, "The price of food items has got out of reach of the poor and the limited income people."

"It is a matter of disappointment for the people as the government has failed to contain the price spiral of essential commodities. Even OMS is not having any positive impact on the market," Faruk said.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman Wednesday emphasised on building up a proper market management system by utilising correct information to monitor price of essentials.