Price spike stains successes

Dhaka, January 11 (bdprem.com) - For Abdul Hye, a retired government official in Patuakhali district town, the spiralling prices have eclipsed the achievements of the caretaker government over the last one year. "A year back, I used to get a kg rice for Tk 20, now I have to pay more than Tk 35 for the same. So where do I get the time to ponder over the success and failures of the government?" Hye's sentiment has been echoed countrywide on the first anniversary of the '1/11 changeover'. Escalating prices appear to have eclipsed the successes of the government in many areas. The state of emergency clamped on Jan 11, 2007 in the backdrop of political violence gave people a respite from instability. The initial activities of the newly-formed caretaker government also instilled some hope among the people. But as the days wear on, their expectations are deflating, says Abdul Awal, a development worker based in Noakhali. "People expected that the government will succeed. At the end of the year when they make a balance sheet they find there's a large gap between the expectation and the delivery." Immediately after assuming office the government took several strict measures including a crackdown on corruption. The public even hailed the arrest of some high-profile corruption suspects, including people's representatives. They heaved a sigh of relief as terrorism and extortion slid down. Educationist Ruhul Islam of Kushtia says: "The law and order situation has improved during the time. We were hostage to dishonest politicians, extortionists and terrorists. We were released from the situation after the state of emergency set in." Then the country faced two devastating floods and cyclone Sidr. According to government statistics released immediately after the August floods, crops on 7.55 lakh acres of land were completely destroyed and were partially damaged on 7.62 lakh acres. The extent of damage in the fisheries sector was put at Tk 209 crore. Then Cyclone Sidr struck, hitting the entire coastal area of Bangladesh. With natural disaster came the 'Damocles' sword' of price hikes. Prices of staples, including rice, flour, powdered milk and edible oil spiralled beyond the easy reach of people. According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, the government's trade wing, the price of coarse rice rose by a staggering 70 percent in the last one year. Atta increased by 56 percent, soybean oil and palm oil prices leapt by 46 and 66 percent respectively. Wages did not rise and new jobs were not generated in the meantime. On the other hand, the anti-corruption drive threw many out of jobs as a number of businessmen and industrialists were arrested. People welcomed the decision at the beginning of the new year to resume the open market sales (OMS) of rice. Low-income people also benefitted from the fair price sale of essentials by BDR and "Farmers' Markets" run at the initiative of the joint forces. Mostafa Kamal, who works at a private firm in Khulna, says: "If I have to stand in a queue for the whole day to collect rice I will lose my job. So I have no way but to buy rice from market at a higher price. "The sword cuts us two ways. We can neither let our situation be known nor bear it." Though OMS started countrywide from Jan 9, the rice supply in Vulnerable Group Feeding, Vulnerable Group Development, Food for Work and Test Relief programmes is threatened because of low stocks. According to Bhola district controller of food Md Abu Tarique, 6,041 tonnes of rice has been sent to Bhola this month for distribution under different programmes. But now the stock in the warehouses is down to 2500 tonnes. As a result, OMS is being given priority over other programmes. Farmers also suffered a fertiliser crisis throughout the year. Mismanagement in post-flood fertiliser distribution was most visible in the northern region. Attack by pests in Nilphamari, Rangpur and Kurigram alongside the fertiliser crunch hampered production. Road blockades and ransacking by fertiliser-hungry farmers in different areas were reported over the year. Veteran social worker of Dinapur, Khatibuddin Ahmed, says on mismanagement of fertiliser: "There has to be a change in the fertiliser distribution system." "There should be a system which can reach fertiliser directly to the farmers. If a farmer has to spend the whole day to collect fertliliser, how can he find time to work in his field?" Over and above the state of emergency or political changeover, the fertiliser crunch and spiraling prices are the critical concerns for millions countrywide. As farmer Sagirul Haque of Binodpur village in Laxmipur says: "We want that the fertiliser and seed supply remains uninterrupted. And that essential prices remain within easy reach."