Staff Reporter
Despite the growing reliance on Metrorail as Dhaka’s most efficient mode of public transport, the long-promised online recharge system remains out of reach for passengers. Commuters continue to face long queues at stations to recharge permanent passes or buy single-trip tickets, with no immediate solution in sight.
The ousted Awami League government had proposed a budget of Tk 7.97 trillion for the ongoing FY 2024-25, which remains in effect under the interim government. The budget is primarily divided into two major segments: development budget and non-development (operating) budget. In the first five months (July-November) of the current fiscal year, total expenditures under these two segments stood at Tk 1.97 trillion, marking an implementation rate of 24.84% of the total allocation.
Despite a drop in prices in the international market and an increase in imports and supply, the edible oil crisis continues in the local market. Consumers are particularly frustrated by the alleged artificial shortage of soybean oil, with traders either not selling it or charging higher prices. Many people blame the government for failing to control this ongoing chaos, which has persisted for months. With the holy month of Ramadan approaching, there are growing concerns over another price hike, yet the administration appears to have taken no effective measures to prevent it.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which operates the metro, decided to add two carriages to each train. Although the plan to add carriages is tied to the extension of the Motijheel-Uttara route up to Tongi, the company is considering implementing it soon due to the growing passenger demand. However, along with addressing the manpower shortage, the burnt parts from the two stations will be replaced within two months.
There has been instability in the edible oil market in the country again. After the price of oil was increased by 8 BDT per liter in December last year, the government had announced that the price would not increase further. However, the reality is different. The supply shortage has deepened, and prices have increased. Amidst this situation, a new proposal to increase prices has been made by business owners to the government. Generally, during Ramadan, the demand for oil doubles. When demand increases, prices also rise. Business owners are preparing to raise prices again based on this formula. Meanwhile, the price of rice has decreased slightly this week compared to last week, following news of rice imports. Depending on the variety, the price of rice has decreased by 1 to 4 BDT per kilogram.
The budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 is expected to be around 8.5 trillion taka. The government aims to bring down inflation to 7% in the upcoming fiscal year, while policymakers are content with setting a GDP growth target of 5.5%. With these objectives in mind, the Ministry of Finance has already started preparing the new budget. Economists emphasize that the budget should not be politically ambitious like in previous years but rather focus on investment and employment generation.