This year, the prices have skyrocketed quite a long while before the holy month. While this can be attributed to the disturbances in the international market, it would be naive to justify this as the result of forces beyond our control.
As such, it is good that the Dhaka South City Corporation has formed a standing committee on observing, monitoring, and controlling when it comes to the price of essential items. It will monitor the markets under DSCC and intervene where necessary.
While the price of oil has increased due to a turbulent international market, there is no doubt that local traders are taking advantage of the situation to fatten up their own coffers.
There have been incidences of public servants even taking part in the heinous practice of stockpiling so that prices in the market go up. There have also been allegations of malpractice in subsidized market. As such, monitoring of such activities has become important. To that end, it is good that the DSCC has started such an initiative, and other authoritative bodies would do good to follow suit.
The DSCC needs to make such drives be carried out on a more regular basis and work closely with the relevant authorities to combat the malpractice of artificial price hikes.
If things continue like this, it won't be long before a large portion of the population regresses in terms of purchasing power. For a country that is supposedly progressing, nothing would be more shameful.