The government will begin importing green chillies from Monday in an effort to stabilise soaring prices in the domestic market, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said on Sunday.
The minister made the announcement after visiting Shantinagar Kitchen Market in the capital to assess the supply and prices of essential commodities.
Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid and State Minister for Food Md Abdul Bari jointly inspected the market on Sunday. During the visit, they spoke with traders and consumers to assess the availability, pricing and overall market conditions of essential goods.
Speaking to reporters after the inspection, the agriculture minister said the government had moved swiftly to curb rising green chilli prices.
“The existing import duty on green chillies is being reduced, and import permits have already been issued. Imports will begin from Monday, and prices are expected to come down to a tolerable level within the next two to five days,” he said.
Commerce Minister Abdul Muqtadir said the government would take all necessary measures to keep the market affordable for consumers.
He also urged the media to report market conditions objectively, saying accurate reporting would help raise public awareness, reduce misinformation and discourage artificial shortages and price manipulation.
Earlier in the day, the commerce and agriculture ministers, along with the state minister for food, attended a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce to review the market situation for essential food and agricultural commodities and discuss necessary measures. They later visited Shantinagar Kitchen Market, where Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam was also present.
Officials expressed hope that the government’s latest measures would help ensure a stable supply of essential commodities and bring relief to consumers by easing price pressures.
