Dhaka: BNP on Tuesday alleged that the government has completely failed to control the overheated rice market as the ruling party-backed syndicate is raising the prices of the staple through tricks, reports the UNB.

‘Rice prices have gone up frequently over the last few days. The prices have increased by Tk 6-8 per kg over the last one week. People, belonging to the ruling party-backed syndicate, are raising the prices through various tricks,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He came up with the allegation at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.

The BNP leader said coarse rice is selling at Tk 50 while other varieties at Tk 70-80.

Rizvi said though the new food minister recently urged the traders to keep the rice market stable to protect his dignity, the traders raised the prices further.

‘The syndicate members, who helped them (govt) in the election of vote robbery, have hiked the rice prices to make money. It’s now a big question whether the food minister has the power to take action against them,’ he said.

The BNP leader said the syndicate of rice traders is making huge money putting people in serious troubles to cope with the exorbitant prices of the main food. ‘Even, low-income people are starving due to the unusual rise in the rice prices.’

He feared that the food crisis may hit the country in the days to come when the prices are rising during the paddy season. ‘We strongly condemn the government’s failure to control the price hike.’

About the recent unrest in readymade garment factories, Rizvi said the government is pushing the RMG sector towards destruction in a planned way.

He alleged that the government has put the owners and workers of the RMG factories against each other due to its failure to work out a justified wage structure and its implementation.