The High Court on Tuesday asked the government to run adequate number of mobile courts in Dhaka and Chittagong metropolitan areas to contain soaring prices in Ramadan, likely to begin on August 2.
The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also asked the secretaries to the commerce and food ministries and deputy commissioners of Dhaka and Chittagong to take legal action against the traders responsible for the price spiral.
The inspector general of police was asked to provide the mobile courts with police personnel as would be required to run the mobile courts by magistrates.
The court also asked the respondents to report to it in seven days on the compliance with the orders.
The respondents were also asked to explain in 10 days why their action that failed to check price increase before Ramadan would not be declared illegal.
The government was also asked to explain why it should not be directed to take effective steps to control commodity prices.
The court passed the orders after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
The organisation's lawyer Manzill Murshid moved the writ petition.
The High Court orders came at a time when the people in general, and residents of Dhaka and Chittagong in particular, are struggling to manage their daily lives because of soaring prices, the Consumers Association of Bangladesh president, Quazi Faruk, told New Age.
The High Court orders have made the city dwellers hopeful to some extent about arrest or soaring prices although the government is yet to come up with any effective measures for market intervention during Ramadan, he said.
Consumer rights activist also said that the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh might fail to procure the targeted quantity of sugar and edible oil for distribution to dealers to keep the prices stable in Ramadan.
Referring to newspaper reports, Faruk said that the lengthy process of import of essential commodities could delay shipment, which might not reach the country before Ramadan.
In 2010, the Trading Corporation had to receive the imported commodities after Ramadan because of the delay in tender process, which defeated the purpose of containing prices in Ramadan when such goods are in high demand, he said.
The government will, however, launch 14 mobile courts around Dhaka's wholesale and retail markets to prevent any increase in prices of essential commodities, mainly sugar and edible oil, before Ramadan.
'The mobile courts were set up on Sunday to work in 26 markets in the capital,' joint secretary Shawkat Ali Waresi told news agency bdnews24.com.
'They will not only monitor the markets but also fine and hold summary trial,' the joint secretary added.
Waresi further said that the mobile courts were set up by strengthening the eight teams of the ministry which used to monitor the markets earlier.
Source : New Age
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