'5m Bangladeshis have purchasing power equal to European citizens'

Commerce minister Tipu Munshi said around 45 to 50 million people in the country have purchasing power equal to European citizens.

The minister came up with this claim on Thursday in a press briefing at the commerce ministry conference room in Dhaka on the occasion of National Tea Day 2022.

Mentioning 30 million out of 170 million people bellow under the poverty line, Tipu Munshi said, "I never said the money of 170 million people has increased. The reality is 20 per cent of people in the country still belong to the lower income group. We have to keep that in mind."

Tipu Munshi also said, "You also know that the purchasing capability of people has increased. It should be monitored whether commoners are able to buy goods at fair price."

"There is no more scope to increase the price of soybean. The price of the edible oil is downwards. The good news is the price of palm oil has decreased," the minister added.