Without exemplary punishment, prices to jump further in Ramadan: CAB

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has said prices of essentials will increase further in the month of Ramadan if the unscrupulous traders are not given exemplary punishment.

"People's income has decreased amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but the competition to raise prices has not stopped due to some of the unscrupulous traders. The price of goods did not increase during the lockdowns, but there is no products, like onion, potato, and soybean oil, whose price has not increased after that," said CAB Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain at a human-chain, protesting the price hikes, in front of the National Press Club yesterday.

"We appeal to the government to be stricter against dishonest traders. If you warn them, they will not pay any heed, because a thief does not listen to the religious teachings. We want exemplary punishment for them. If they are not punished, the prices of daily commodities will go up further during Ramadan. So now is the time to pull the reins of traders," he said.

At the programme, CAB General Secretary Advocate Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said, "The local traders have increased the prices of almost all the products on the pretext that the prices have risen in the world market. They have even increased the price of beef, but has it increased in the international market?"

"The traders who are dishonest, profiteers, and hoarders must be brought to justice. We demand the government to give them exemplary punishment," he added.