Government focused on keeping essentials affordable in Ramadan, says Press Secretary Shafiqul

The prices of daily commodities will remain tolerable during Ramadan, Chief Advisor's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said.

The government had taken steps since assuming office on Aug 8 to keep market prices under control during the month of fasting, he said during a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Saturday.

"Based on available data, I can say that the prices of necessities are at a tolerable level compared with last Ramadan. The interim government remains fully focused on ensuring price stability throughout the month," the press secretary said.

The Ministry of Commerce, the National Board of Revenue, or NBR, Bangladesh Bank, and the Tariff Commission are working intensively to keep prices stable for high-demand products like edible oil, chickpeas, and dates, he added.

"Through collective efforts, the prices of many products have stabilised. The government is monitoring the supply of edible oil daily to increase availability," he said.

"We hope the supply will improve further, which should keep prices stable," he added.

Addressing concerns about a shortage of soyabean oil in the market, Shafiqul said: "We are monitoring both bottled and loose soyabean oil. The price of loose soyabean oil has already started to decline. If supply increases further, prices will become even more stable."

"We have seen situations before where bottled soyabean oil disappeared from the market. We are making every effort to ensure proper supply so that there is enough for everyone," he added.