Kazi Azizul Islam
The cost of living in the past year went up by 9.42 per cent with the increase in prices of essential commodities by 12.54 per cent, said a release of the Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh on Thursday.
While conducting a study, the CAB took into consideration the annual cost of living basing on the average prices of over 170 essential commodities and services in different categories.
The price hike of food items, fuels, clothing, soaps and gold ornaments as well as increase in transport fare and house rent, were included in the CAB study that excluded education and healthcare costs.
The CAB found different varieties of rice became costlier by 40.71 per cent, flour17.11 per cent, edible oil 27.62 per cent, lentils 19.24 per cent and processed spices up to 17 per cent in the past year.
The CAB also found prices of fish and meat increased by 11 per cent, salt 5 per cent, sugar, 4 per cent, milk and milk products 22 per cent and vegetables 26 per cent.
In the non-food categories, the CAB saw house rent increased by 21 per cent, fuel oils 18 per cent and soaps 20 per cent.
Previously, the CAB recorded a 19 per cent rise in the cost of living in 2007, the highest rise in last 15 years, while the living cost had increased by 13.5 per cent in 2006, 9.8 per cent in 2005, 7.1 per cent in 2004, and 10.5 per cent in 2003.
The consumer rights protection body saw the year 2008 as a year of failure of the interim government in checking surge in the cost of living, which threw the consumers into much sufferings.
The CAB mentioned that the winning political parties, in their polls manifestoes for the December 29 elections, promised to reduce price of essential commodities, bringing back within the buying capacity of the commoners.
‘Consumers hope that the elected new government after assuming office will immediately take effective steps for reducing the price of essential items,’ CAB observed.
The consumer rights protection body demanded that the government would make the newly enacted Consumer Rights Protection Act effective for guarding the rights of consumers.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
