24 prominent citizens express concern over inflation, urge govt to take action

Twenty-four prominent citizens of the country have issued a joint statement on Monday to voice their concern about the escalating inflation, particularly the surge in prices of everyday essentials like eggs and potatoes.

The statement reads, "The escalating costs of food items have become unbearable. We urge the government to implement effective measures to curb this crisis."

Citing data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) indicating a 12.54% surge in food prices in August, which has contributed to an overall inflation rate of 9.9%, they stated, "The inflation has made it increasingly challenging for the lower and middle classes to sustain their livelihoods. The rising prices of eggs and meat are particularly concerning, as they pose potential long-term nutritional challenges, causing a deficit of protein."

The signatories stated, "The Russian-Ukraine war is held responsible for the situation and traders say the dollar-crisis has intensified the problem. Many countries affected by the war have managed to mitigate inflation by implementing stringent monetary policies, cost-cutting measures, and market controls. Regrettably, Bangladesh has yet to make significant progress in this regard.

"There are allegations of syndicates manipulating prices in the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail markets, with authorities failing to take decisive action or enforce measures against them."

They said, "This situation is not desirable under any circumstances. We sincerely hope that the government will promptly address this critical situation with the support of various social forces. Specifically, measures must be taken to stabilize the prices of essential items such as meat, pulses, onions, eggs, and potatoes, making them affordable for the public. Effective steps should be taken to alleviate public hardship."

The statement was endorsed by Sultana Kamal, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Professor Syed Anwar Husain, Ramendu Majumdar, Dr Sarwar Ali, Trustee Noor Mohammad Talukder, Prof MM Akash, Khushi Kabir, Rana Dasgupta, Robaet Ferdous, Zobaida Nasreen, Selu Basit, RM Debnath, Asit Baran Roy, Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, Saleh Ahmed, AK Azad, Parvez Hashem, Zahirul Islam Zahir, Jahangir Alam, Alak Das Gupta, Abdul Waheed, Abdur Razzak, and Gautam Sheel. Saleh Ahmed, the General Secretary of Samilit Samaj Andolon, issued this statement to the media.