Trade Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin said, "Based on the prices of various products that we are seeing in the international market, prices in the country should come down. I don't see any reason for them to increase. I hope I can do this."
He made these remarks at a policy dialogue titled 'Reasonable Prices of Food Commodities: Exploring Strategies for Market Supervision' organized by Banik Barta at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Sunday (February 2) afternoon.
Stating that he wants to make the Competition Commission completely independent, the Commerce Advisor said, "We want to move towards ensuring that there is no anti-competitive activity in the market. There is no interference from the ministry."
Commenting on the need for long-term planning, not short-term, he said, "We want to limit the government's procurement of paddy. Government procurement should be import-dependent. Then the supply in the local market will be normal and prices can be controlled."
Stating that our policies are meant to benefit the wealthy class, Sheikh Bashiruddin said, "These policies are not adopted to benefit consumers or the common people. There has been no significant investment in the country in the last 15 years - so how will there be employment? From whom will we collect taxes?"
The business advisor said, banks have been made into criminal institutes in the last 15 years. Islamic banks have been destroyed. This banking law has been corrupted. Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has been destroyed for 15 years. Only 142 people did an operation of 12 thousand crore taka. The number of beneficiaries is 1 crore. It feels good to hear. But when we initially verified, we found 4.3 lakh fakes. I think if we verify it at an extra level, another 20 to 2.5 lakh fakes will be found.
