The Food Minister of Bangladesh has warned rice mill owners and traders to reduce prices within four days, following an unexpected increase of Tk 5-6 per kg nationwide in January,2024. The minister expressed concern about the sudden rise during the Aman harvest season and directed strict market monitoring to restore prices. He emphasized the need for mill owners to bring down prices gracefully, mentioning that corporate packaging adds only Tk 2-3, but prices to supermarkets are inflated by up to Tk 8. The government has initiated the process of importing rice from foreign markets, seeking approval to reduce import duties to zero if necessary. Mill owners attributed the price increase to post-election demand, while the food secretary refuted claims of the typical yearly rise, stating that such increases usually occur before the Boro harvest in March-April. Coarse rice was priced at Tk 52-55, medium at Tk 62-65, and finer varieties at Tk 75-98 per kg in Dhaka retail markets.
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