Jatiya Party warns of movement over commodity price rise

The Jatiya Party, the main opposition in the parliament, has warned of waging a movement and taking to the streets in protest of the continuous upsurge in prices of essential commodities.

Mujibul Haque Chunnu, secretary general of the party, issued the warning at a human chain arranged from Bijoyanagar to Paltan in the capital on Thursday.

Chunnu said, "Jatiya Party took to the streets after three years and will not leave the streets.  We will wage movement with the people if prices of commodities are not reduced, corruption is not stopped, money laundering is not stopped and embezzlement of bank money is not stopped."

People are going through hard times as commodity prices have kept skyrocketing, while those who became unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic have not yet got any job, he added.

"The number of unemployed people is now 5 crore. In such a reality, the price of commodities is rising. It seems that the government has no responsibility towards the people. It does not want to realise people's sufferings.

"People are not able to afford the everyday essentials. They cannot buy medicine, take the necessary healthcare services."
Since Ershad's regime ended in 1990, the Awami League and the BNP have run the country, Chunnu said, alleging the two parties have broken the country's economy and market system.

The Jatiya Party secretary-general also put forward a comparative picture of the price hike in the last three years.

"The price of soybean in January 2019 was Tk104. Three years later, in 2022, its price now stands at Tk180. Coarse rice cost Tk44 a kg in January 2019, now the price is Tk50. Flour was Tk28 per kg which is now Tk38," he said.

"The departments concerned have proposed to increase the price of gas for household use. Another department also proposed to increase the price of water by 20%. With this, the cost of getting services will increase, making people's lives miserable."

Citing a newspaper story, Chunnu said the commerce minister said there is no shortage of daily necessities in the country. If there is no shortage, then why has the price of commodities gone up?

"You are that commerce minister under whom people have to buy onions at Tk250 per kg. So what can I say, as a businessman, you (commerce minister) are increasing the price by forming a syndicate with the connivance of the government," Chunnu alleged.
The Jatiya Party leader said, "You (food minister) said the country has 30 lakh tonnes of food items in stock."

"If this amount of food remains in stock then why is the price of essential commodities increasing?" Chunnu questions.

He said, "We helped Awami League to come to power as it is a pro-liberation party. But the people's sufferings have risen due to the misrule of Awami League. So, people no more want Awami League or BNP in power. They now want the Jatiya Party in state power."