Reduce the price of rice

Many have praised the current government for keeping prices of most commodities low even during the month of Ramadan. Although the prices of vegetables and other consumer goods are low, the price of rice has increased by two to four taka per kg. That too would not have been within the realm of possibility if the price of rice had not increased earlier. According to news published in the media on Saturday (March 15), the price of rice has increased by Tk 17 per kg in a year. Where most people in Bangladesh eat rice three times a day, the increase in the price of rice by Tk 17 per kg is an additional addition to the expense account. This is difficult for many low-income families to bear.

According to the information received, last year in Ramadan, a kilogram of fine rice was Tk 62 to Tk 64 in Khajanagar area of ​​Kushtia. That rice is now being sold for Tk 80 to Tk 81. It has increased by at least Tk 17 per kg. Similarly, the price of medium and coarse rice has increased. It is known that many middle-class families have also started buying coarse and medium-sized rice due to the increase in the price of rice.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that a ship named MV Maryam has arrived at the Chattogram port with 26,250 metric tonnes of Atap rice imported from Pakistan under a government contract yesterday. Rice is also being smuggled from India, and that rice is being seized. Why is the price of rice not decreasing?

It is known that the reason for this is that the rice market has been in the hands of a syndicate for a long time. This syndicate is not being broken in any way. In addition, the stock of rice in government warehouses is gradually decreasing. There is much less rice than what is supposed to be stored in government warehouses for food security. This is why the government is not providing rice even though it is providing other consumer goods at affordable prices against smart cards. Due to which it has been seen that the price of rice has not decreased even in the peak season, but has increased by two to four taka per kg last month as well. However, at the beginning of the year, advisors had assured the countrymen that the price of rice would not increase any more; but when the price of rice in the world market is decreasing, the question of why the domestic market is on the rise remains unanswered.

On the other hand, the government is stopping the sale of rice in the open market and on the other hand, it is not giving rice against smart cards. In this situation, market experts believe that it is impossible to keep the price of rice stable. According to the advisor, there is still a large supply of rice in the market; but can everyone afford to buy that rice?

A price increase of two to four taka may not be a big deal for many; but for the poor, it is a lot. If the price of rice increases by two to four taka per kilogram, the daily expenditure of many families on rice increases by twenty to twenty-two taka, which is about five hundred taka per month. Will everyone's income increase by five hundred taka per month?

The crisis that has arisen over the price of rice in the peak season has many people worried about the coming days. Apart from that, the price of vegetables is already low during the winter season. Once the winter is over, the price of vegetables will increase. It will also affect the price of rice. Therefore, the government must take more strong steps now to control the price of rice after considering the matter carefully. If the price of rice is not reduced, it will have a disastrous impact on the lives of many low-income people.