Shaheen Mollah

The move aimed at reining in price spiral during Ramadan; experts doubt its effectiveness

When the devastating fire broke out from a gas cylinder in Gazipur’s Kaliakoir on Wednesday evening, Shah Alam, a salesman of an ice cream company, rushed to douse the fire with nearby locals.

Idris Miah, a roadside makeshift iftar seller, went to Karwan Bazar Kitchen Market to buy kheshari dal (grass peas), an essential ingredient for piyaju, a popular item for iftar.

Despite the government’s repeated assurances of stability in kitchen markets during Ramadan, the prices of some commodities, mainly consumed during iftar, have seen a substantial surge, hurting people from limited income groups.

With Ramadan just two days away, consumers will have to deal with the hiked prices of essential for the month of fasting this year.

Around 11:30pm, there were murmurs of one death. By then, the fire had been burning for over an hour.

A phone call, followed by an everlasting silence.

It was a leap day on Thursday, and many decided to celebrate the day that comes every four years with dreams and promises to be in a better place in life when the next one arrives.

Consumers are bracing for multiple price shocks ahead of Ramadan that usually marks a period of high household spending.

It was 7:45am. Like countless mornings before, textile engineer Fakhrul Hasan Rifat started steering his motorcycle through Dhaka streets yesterday, with his wife Jarin Tasnim Nawshin confidently perched behind him as the couple started their usual day.

Mohammad Shahid looked at the shopkeeper in Karwan Bazar in disbelief after hearing that a kg of onions was selling for Tk 120.

Usually, Fridays mean less passengers on Dhaka’s roads, making business difficult for buses. However, the game has changed since metro trains started operating between Uttara and Motijheel all day.

Lying on a bed at National Institute of Neuro Sciences and Hospital, Leon keeps asking his mother -- Ma, will I be able to walk again?

Day labourer Azizul Haque was upset to see the price of papaya when he went to do grocery shopping yesterday: it has doubled in a space of a few days.

It is peak harvest season, but the price of onion has soared by Tk 10 per kilogram at the capital’s kitchen markets over the last three days.

Ever since the metro trains started operating between Uttara and Motijheel all day, buses have been seeing fewer passengers.

The price of rice has not gone down in Dhaka’s kitchen markets despite government warnings of legal action against traders.

Saiful Islam Russel was lying on the floor -- motionless, blood oozing from his mouth, and bruises on his face and body.

With the harvesting of Aman crops, the prices of BR-28, Paijam, Guti and aromatic rice were supposed to decrease. Instead, the rice prices have gone up by Tk 2-8 per kg in the last 10 days in Dhaka’s kitchen markets.

“Fire, fire”. Sharmin Akter, 22, woke up hearing these desperate cries which shattered the stillness of the night in Mollabari Slum in Tejgaon yesterday. Her immediate thought was to save her one-and-a-half-year-old son, Nafi Hossain.