Announcing counter-programmes on the same day as the BNP, and often at a venue close to the BNP’s, raises the possibility of tension at best and outright violence at worst.

Abdul Wahab, a security guard at an ATM booth of a private bank in the capital, works 16 hours a day.

Anyone with any faith in the market economy knew that the supply issues would be resolved eventually; but no one could possibly know when.

The Bangladesh Bank is yet to take any visible measure in line with a commerce ministry directive aimed at asking banks to earmark a portion of their foreign currency holdings to open letters of credit to import essentials ahead of Ramadan. 

Some garment manufacturers are providing basic commodities to their workers at discounts opening shops on factory premises, bringing some relief amidst the skyrocketing of prices in the local markets. 

Thousands of BNP activists have gathered on Alia Madrasa ground in Sylhet city’s Chowhatta area, hours before the rally starts.

Famine can be averted but we may still face a food crisis if the government cannot bring down prices

Govt must do more to stop consumers’ purchasing power erosion

Bangladesh made gains in food production and ensured the availability of rice in recent years. But surging inflation, erratic weather, and the Russia-Ukraine war affected the availability of cereals and reduced low-income people’s access to food this year.

If things are bad, there must be a good reason for it.

Floods, low rainfall and then fertiliser price hike -- the woes of farmers just won’t stop. And now, they will have to bear the brunt of a sudden 42.5 percent rise in diesel cost, which is likely to make them spend an additional Tk 4,000 in irrigation for per hectare Boro production.

The world is going through one of the worst energy crises in recent times, even if we compare it to the situation that arose out of the 1973 Arab oil embargo.

Realtors today said the cost of various raw materials, including rod and lift, will increase in the next fiscal year because of the increase in value added tax and customs tariff.

Prices of essentials are rising, and most worryingly, the price of rice is completely uncontrolled in the domestic market. Despite this being peak season and sufficient paddy supply, rice prices rose by Tk 8 to 10 per kg in the last two weeks.

Price hikes despite the high yield of Boro rice totally unacceptable

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given directives to take immediate action against rice hoarders.

The prices of fine rice have gone up in the capital’s wholesale and retail markets, aggravating the suffering of the people from middle-income families who are already struggling to meet their household expenses due to spiraling prices of essentials, including edible oil and lentil.

An annoyed Shovon Das was walking home with a five-litre bottle of soybean oil from Shaheb Bazar in Rajshahi city yesterday afternoon. He had paid Tk 985 for it even though the government set the price at Tk 760.

The Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners & Vanaspati Manufacturers Association today said it will take action against the dealers if their involvement is found in creating an edible oil crisis.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will resume selling edible oil at Tk 110 a litre to one crore TCB cardholder families in June, Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh said today.