The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

Prices of rice, lentil, atta, flour, edible oils and milk products increased by almost 45.45 per cent during the last fiscal year oof 2007-08, according to the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB).

Speakers at a discussion on "Price hike of essentials and What we need to do," organised by the CAB said traders have been raising the prices of essentials ahead of the month of Ramadan, but the government initiatives to curb the price hike are not yielding any result. Living standard of the common people is gradually going down due the government's failures in curtailing the price hike of essentials. Calorie intake of the people is also declining fast.

Organised at the CAB conference room in the city, the speakers said prices of rice increased by 59.92 per cent, atta 52.62 percent, lentil 33.03 percent, edible oils 32.33 percent, egg 32.33 percent, soap 25.66 percent and milk products 30.34 percent during the last fiscal year.

During the last July, essential prices increased by 5.41 percent. Rice prices increased by 8.86 percent, lentil 4.23 percent, vegetables 36.96 percent and egg 12.57 percent.

On the other hand, prices of essentials increased by 3.09 during the last one week.

With CAB president Borhan Ahmed, the discussion was participated by Fazlul Huq, Emdad Hossain and Zahidur Rahman.