The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday said that the price of essential commodities has increased in the markets following the lack of co-ordination between the government advisers and the top bureaucrats.

"The advisers and the top bureaucrats as well as the top army personnel offered different explanations about the food situation last couple of months, which created lot of confusion and panic in the market. This severe lack of co-ordination and chain of command has been making the market more volatile and speculation-prone," the speakers said.

They were addressing the roundtable styled "Price Hike of Food Items and Food Security: Perspective Bangladesh" was held at Hotel Lake Shore in the city. The Bangladesh Heritage Foundation (BHF) and Bangladesh Development Partnership Studies (BDPC) jointly organised the roundtable. Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim was present as chief guest.

Dr Muinul Islam, Professor of Economics department of Chittagong University presented keynote paper at the roundtable and said, "The present trend of spiralling prices of essential food items has reached a crisis proportion, which have been causing severe price inflation in the market for all necessities of life in particular and an over-all inflation in the whole economy in general. In spite of the recent deceleration of inflationary trends in the rice and wheat markets and a trend of decrease in price of coarse varieties of rice on the eve of the harvesting of a relieve thinking on the part of the Government that the crisis is over."

He added that the alternative channels of public food distribution have been systematically abolished or made dysfunctional during the last two decades by following the dictates of the donor big brothers and the votaries of unbridled 'open market economy'.

He mentioned in his keynote paper that the government has shown unforgivable lethargy in decision making regarding building of a satisfactory buffer stock of food grains right after the two floods and cyclone. Even, the decision makers showed mysterious kept quite regarding import of food grain through government channels offered by India.

"The resultant delay of five months has aggravated the present crisis through the traders speculative frenzy and reckless profiteers. Bangladesh has to pay much higher price for the Indian food grain because of this inordinate delay," he further said.

Agriculture Adviser Dr CS Karim said it is right time to develop our agriculture sector for food security.

"We have provided the fertiliser and other out put to the farmer in just time. The bumper production of Boro approved it again," Dr Karim said.

Economist Dr Kholiquazzaman Ahmed said that building a buffer stock for ensuring the food security was a must.

"The donor agencies confused us by interfering our internal affairs and government also followed their advise on food grain stock after cyclone," he also said.

Economist Abu Ahmed said the government should establish a market regulatory commission.

"The commission will regulate the market and punish the dishonest businessmen who are responsible for volatile the market rule," he suggested.

"If we make strong the trading corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) strong, we would not have faced the present situation of the unfair trading practices of the 'syndicates' and profiteers in the food market," he said.

Former president of FBCCI Mir Nasir Hossain called upon the government to ensure the fair price of Boro for the farmers.

Former ambassador and also chairman of BHF Wali-ur Rahman moderated roundtable while Dr Fahmida Hossain, senior research fellow of CPD, former ambassador Harun Ur Rashid and Sharif A kafi addressed the roundtable.