The government has taken massive preparations to monitor markets and check dishonest traders, who usually hike prices of various essentials creating artificial crises centring the holy month of Ramadan.
As part of the move, the government is going to engage an additional number of personnel from all the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies alongside mobile court operations ahead of Ramadan.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday in her speech severely criticized the dishonest businessmen and traders, who create artificial crises and hike prices of essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan.
While speaking during the inauguration of 50 model mosques across the country, the Prime Minister also asked the authorities concerned to see that vested quarters could not destabilise the market and cause troubles during the Ramadan.
According to sources, the government has already instructed the officials of the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) to launch mobile court operations in the markets and different warehouses.
The DNCRP officials have been given directives to conduct mobile court operations at the markets so that traders could not hike prices of essentials. They also have been asked to conduct operations at the warehouses so that dishonest traders and ill-motivated forces were not able to distabilise the market and create an artificial crisis.
The sources also said police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and other intelligence agencies have also been asked to keep an eye and vigilance on the markets.
Officials of the Bangladesh Police and RAB said that they are also going to monitor the markets with the help of mobile courts.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) officials said they will remain active in the market with thrice the number of officials than at usual times. The DMP already sent a letter to the Ministry of Public Administration requesting deputation of an additional number of magistrates.
Biplab Kumer Sarker, a Joint Commissioner of the DMP, said, “Some days ago, the DMP sent a letter to the Ministry of Public Administrations regarding the deputation of additional number of magistrates so that the DMP could conduct additional number of operations for the welfare of the city dwellers.
“If we get magistrates, we want to keep all the markets in the capital under control and monitor the essential prices through mobile court operations”, he added.
Same type of initiatives are being taken by the RAB officials. Multiple teams will remain working this year in view to keep the market price under control as well as to check artificial price hikes centring the Ramadan.
He said that the RAB will mainly work in coordination with the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection.
"We will work as per the directives of the magistrates and the DNCRP officials at the markets and shopping centres", he added.
Earlier on March 16, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun gave instructions to the police, RAB and other law-enforcement agencies to intensify vigilance so that no vested quarters were able to deteriorate the market situation and cause sufferings to people centring the holy month of Ramadan.
Officials of the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) also said that they are making better preparations this year to keep market prices under control.
Masum Arefin, a Deputy Director of the DNCRP, said as per the directives from the higher authorities, the DNCRP has already held multiple meetings to keep the markets under monitoring.
“This year an additional number of teams of the DNCRP will remain vigilant”, he said.
