The government has established special task forces in each district to monitor the escalating prices of essential commodities and ensure they remain within reasonable limits. These task forces will oversee the supply chain and evaluate market conditions to effectively manage pricing issues.

Each task force will include representatives from the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, or CAB, as well as two student representatives.

The commerce ministry issued a gazette notification on Monday to form these district-level task forces.

Each 10-member task force will be led by the additional district commissioner, with the assistant director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, or DNCRP, serving as member secretary.

TASK FORCE RESPONSIBILITIES

The task force will regularly visit markets, large wholesale depots, cold storage facilities, and other supply chain points, ensuring essential commodity prices remain reasonable.

It will aim to reduce price disparities among production, wholesale, and retail stages while engaging in discussions with relevant stakeholders.

After daily monitoring, a report will be sent to the commodity price review and forecast cell of the commerce ministry and the central control room of the DNCRP. These reports will be compiled and submitted to the commerce ministry by 7pm daily. The task force will have the authority to expand its membership if necessary.

TASK FORCE MEMBERS

The task force will include representatives such as the additional superintendent of police, the district food controller, representatives from the district livestock and fisheries offices, the agricultural marketing officer or senior agricultural marketing officer, and two student representatives alongside the CAB representative.