Food inflation again started to rise just after falling in December and stood at 6.07 per cent in January from that of 5.86 per cent in December due mainly to the ongoing blockades and hartals causing severe disruption in transportation of essential food items.
Point-to-point inflation, however, continued to drop in seventh months in a row in the current fiscal year, and stood at 6.04 per cent from that of 6.11 per cent a month ago, according to data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Overall point-to-point inflation now stood at 27-month low since October 2012 when inflation rate was 5.86 per cent, the data showed.
Non-food inflation also dipped to 6.01 per cent in January which was 6.48 per cent in December, according to the data.
Planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday released the data at a press briefing held at the ministry after the regular meeting of Executive Committee of the National Economic Council headed by prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
‘Food inflation increased in January as transportation of commodities has been disrupted due to current political situation prevailing in the country,’ Kamal said.
The BNP-led opposition parties have enforced an indefinite blockade since January 5 and have been enforcing frequent hartals across the country.
Vehicles came under arson attacks and vandalism continued to disrupt transportation of imported and locally produced goods across the country, he said.
Food inflation also increased in December to 5.86 per cent from that of in November.
Overall inflation and non-food inflation, however, declined on fall in prices of non-food items particularly fuel oils in international markets, Kamal said.
Food inflation rose in January because of price hike of rice, pulse, fish, meat, vegetable oil, milk and milk products and tobacco products, a BBS analysis said.
It said that non-food inflation also increased in the month because of price hike of clothes, house rent, furniture and household items, cost of medical services, transport, education materials and miscellaneous goods and services.
Average point-to-point inflation, dropped to 6.86 per cent in February, 2014 to January, 2015 period compared with 7.60 per cent in February, 2013 to January, 2014 period, the data showed.
In January, food inflation in both rural and urban areas also increased.
In urban areas, food inflation reached to 6.69 per cent in the month which was 6.07 in December.
In rural areas, food inflation slightly increased to 5.79 per cent in January from 5.78 per cent a month ago, the data showed.
Overall inflation in urban areas dropped to 6.48 per cent in January which was 5.81 per cent in rural areas.
In December, overall inflation rate was 6.50 per cent and 5.89 per cent in urban and rural areas respectively, according to the BBS data.
-With New Age input
