The overall point-to-point inflation and food inflation continued to rise significantly in December due mainly to political unrest including frequent blockades and hartals that broke down supply chain across the country, officials of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday. In December, point-to-point inflation rose by 0.20 percentage points and stood at 7.35 per cent from 7.15 per cent a month ago, according to BBS statistics released on the day.
On the other hand, food inflation increased by 0.45 percentage points to 9 per cent in December from 8.55 per cent in November while non-food inflation slightly eased down to 4.88 per cent in the month, the data showed.
Non-food inflation was 5.08 per cent in November.
Food inflation in both urban and rural areas also increased in December, the BBS data showed.
Analysing BBS data, it was found that overall point-to-point inflation started to increase from November while food inflation started to rise since October after fall in few months in a row.
‘Supply chain of goods has been severely disrupted in last two months in absence of smooth transportation facility due to political turmoil that left adverse impact on the inflation,’ BBS director general GM Kamal told reporters at a press briefing at his office while releasing consumer price index data.
Consumers had to pay additional price for food items while they kept themselves out of buying non-food items as political turmoil pushed up prices, he said.
Explaining the reason of reduction of non-food inflation, he said that political instability reduced consumption of fuel, expenditure in recreation activities and clothes which cannot be carried out across the country, mainly in city areas, because of disruption of transportation system.
According to BBS data, point-to-point inflation, on a monthly basis, stood at 0.54 per cent in December from 0.39 per cent in previous month while monthly food inflation rose to 0.78 per cent in the month. Monthly food inflation was 0.47 per cent in November.
Kamal said that food inflation increased in the month because of price hike of rice, lentil, atta, fish, meat, fruit, spices, vegetable oil, milk and other food items, and tobacco products.
On the other hand, the prices of non-food items like clothes, house rent, furniture, household items, expenditure in medical services, transportation, education and miscellaneous items and services also rose in December, he said.
According to BBS data, point-to-point inflation remained unchanged to 7.58 per cent in urban area in December while food inflation rose to 9.89 per cent and non-food inflation dropped to 5.13 per cent in the month.
In November, in urban areas food and non-food inflation was 9.67 per cent and 5.35 per cent respectively.
-With New Age input
