The government has approved the import of green chillies, with imports set to begin from tomorrow, Monday. Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid announced this.
The announcement came during a visit to Shantinagar Kitchen Market in the capital today by Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid, and State Minister for Food Md Abdul Bari to monitor the prices of essential commodities.
Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam was also present there, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Commerce.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, the agriculture minister said the government had taken swift measures to stabilise green chilli prices.
He said the existing import duty on green chillies was being reduced and import permission had been granted. Imports will begin from Monday, and he expressed hope that prices would fall to a reasonable level within two to five days.
At present, green chillies are selling for Tk 320 to Tk 380 per kilogram in markets across the capital. Two to three days ago, prices had climbed as high as Tk 400 per kilogram. The sharp increase has caused considerable hardship for consumers.
During the market visit, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said the government would take all necessary measures to keep the market affordable for consumers.
Addressing journalists, he said, “Report objectively what you observe on the ground. That will help raise public awareness and reduce confusion. It will also prevent anyone from creating an artificial shortage or manipulating prices.”
Earlier in the day, the commerce and agriculture ministers, along with the state minister for food, attended a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce to review the overall market situation for essential food and agricultural commodities and determine the necessary course of action.
They later visited Shantinagar Kitchen Market to assess the situation firsthand.