Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the prices of essential commodities have come down significantly due to the ongoing fair-price sale of these products by the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
She said this while responding to a tabled question from ruling party MP Kazim Uddin Ahmed during the prime minister’s question-answer session in Parliament.
She said the prices of the essentials has soared significantly all around the world due to the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
She also mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine war has pushed up fuel price too.
“As a result, the prices of essentials have increased in the world market,” she said.
She, however, said that her pro-people government has taken immediate steps to control the situation and keep the prices under control and at a tolerable level.
“Due to various steps of the government, the prices of essentials are now at a logical level,” she said.
She also hoped that prices of the essential items will remain at a tolerable and affordable level during the holy month of Ramadan.
The prime minister said a one-litre bottle of soybean oil, selling at Tk170 on March 1, was available at Tk161.50 on April 5.
She said that during this time the price of loose soybean oil came down to Tk155 per litre from Tk175, while the price of palm oil came down to Tk142 per litre from Tk158.
But the TCB during this time sold bottled soybean at Tk110 per litre, she said.
The leader of the House mentioned that lentil price came down to Tk112.50 on April 5 from Tk120 while TCB was selling it at Tk65 per kilogram.
Loose sugar was Tk85 per kilogram on March 1 while it was Tk78 on April 5. The TCB is selling it at Tk55 per kilogram, she added.
Sheikh Hasina said the price of chickpeas was Tk72.50 on April 5 and Tk77 on March 1. The TCB is selling this item at Tk50 per kilogram.
Regarding onion price, she said, on March 1 it was selling at Tk60 per kilogram, while on April 5 the price fell to Tk31.50. The TCB is selling it at Tk20 per kilogram.
