Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity (Shop Owner Association) demanded the withdrawal of the prices of 29 commodities fixed by the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
From a press conference in Dhaka on Tuesday President of the Association Helal Uddin claimed that this pricing is unreasonable and self-destructive.
He said prices cannot be fixed in a free market economy.
"Now 29 product prices have been fixed. We are asking the DAM to sell at these prices and give their employees' salaries with the profit they make," he pointed out.
"Either they sell at the fixed price or withdraw the circular. We cannot sell the products at this rate. Price-fixing is unrealistic and pointless," he claimed.
Secretary General of the Samity Zahirul Haque Bhuiyan and other businessmen were also present at the press conference.
Dokan Malik Samity presented a 7-point demand to the prime minister including- the notification fixing the price of 29 goods shall be suspended.
Otherwise, they will have no choice but to close their businesses, accurate statistics of import and production must be ensured, capacity of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) should be increased, market management should be reformed, Consumer goods should be brought under the jurisdiction of the same ministry, supply should be ensured according to the market demand, businessmen should be given an opportunity to do business in a stress-free environment, all types of taxes imposed on consumer goods should be reduced to a tolerable level.
