Govt failed to rein in Ramadan market: BNP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Saturday alleged that the government has completely failed to control the market at the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, according to UNB.

"The prices of essentials have increased sharply with the start of Ramadan as the government couldn't control the market. It has totally failed to keep the market stable," he said.

The BNP leader came up with the remark while speaking at a discussion arranged by Nagorik Odhikar Andolon at the Jatiya Press Club.

Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, also alleged that the government has allowed the pro-ruling party businesspeople to make windfall profits by inflating the prices of essentials. "The government is doing this as it has no sense of responsibility for people."

He also criticised commerce minister Tofail Ahmed for his 'utter failure' to live up to his promise to keep the market stable during Ramadan.

The BNP leader said though the Supreme Court and the High Court granted bail to Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, the government has kept her in jail in other cases with an evil plan to keep her away from the next polls.

He warned that people will not accept any election without Khaleda Zia.

Earlier at a press conference at the party's Naya Paltan central office, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the prices of essentials marked a sharp rise due to the government's failure to rein in the syndicates backed by party-backed businessmen's syndicates.

"The prices of food and other essential items are going beyond people's buying capacity. People are going through immense sufferings to cope with the growing prices of the necessary items," he added.

Rizvi also voiced concern that people are facing serious problems during the Ramadan as gas crisis has deepened in some areas of the capital.

The BNP leader alleged that the lower court is not giving their chairperson Khaleda Zia bail in some cases at the behest of the prime minister to prolong her stay in jail.

"The government is repressing her (Khaleda) during the holy month instead of allowing her release," he added.