BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain alleged that the government has completely failed in controlling market prices at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
"The prices of essentials have increased sharply with the start of Ramadan as the government could not control the market. It has totally failed in keeping the market stable," he said.
The BNP leader made the statement while speaking at a discussion arranged by Nagorik Odhikar Andolon at the National Press Club on Saturday.
Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, also alleged that the government has allowed the pro-ruling party businesspeople to make windfall profits by inflating the prices of essentials.
"The government is doing this as it has no sense of responsibility towards the people," he added.
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He also criticized Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed for his “utter failure” to live up to his promise in keeping the market stable during Ramadan.
Regarding Khaleda Zia’s bail, he said the government has kept her in jail in other cases with an evil plan of keeping her away from the next polls.
He warned that people will not accept any election without Khaleda Zia leading BNP’s campaign.
Earlier at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the prices of essentials marked a sharp rise due to the government's failure to rein in the syndicates led by party-backed businessmen's syndicates.
"The prices of food and other essential items are going beyond people's purchasing capacity. People are suffering while trying to cope with the growing prices of the necessary items," he added.
Rizvi also voiced concern that people are facing serious problems during Ramadan as gas crisis has deepened in some areas of Dhaka.