Staff Correspondent

The government has outlined a series of measures aimed at controlling the prices of daily essentials to ensure affordability for consumers as Ramadan nears, said Mohammad Aleem Akhtar Khan, director general of the Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection.

Speaking at the Shadow Parliament event organised by Debate for Democracy, Aleem also announced that from Saturday, 13 locations in Dhaka would begin selling eggs at controlled prices; a move intended to ease the burden on consumers during Ramadan.

Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran, chairman of Debate for Democracy, chaired the programme.

The government has already made significant strides to curb price hikes by withdrawing duties on essential goods, including edible oil, sugar, chickpeas, lentils, and dates. In addition, the decision has been made to lift the LC margin on the import of these items, ensuring smoother availability and pricing during the fasting month, he said.

"The goal is to ensure that essential goods, particularly those needed for fasting and meal preparations, remain affordable for everyone," he said adding that "With these measures in place, we hope to see a positive impact on price control in the market.”

In a move aimed at improving consumer access, the government will also establish 13 designated sub-centres across Dhaka, 6 in the North City Corporation and 7 in the South City Corporation, to directly sell eggs at fair prices.

The DG further assured that the government would continue to take proactive measures to tackle any syndicates responsible for price manipulation. "The government has the power and responsibility to act in the best interests of the people, especially in times like these. There is no cause for concern if we need to break up monopolistic practices that harm the public," he added.