The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed in Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday with a view to further amending Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission Act 1992.
State minister for commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu moved the bill and it was passed by a voice vote.
The amendment bill has been placed to bring change in the name of the post of 鈥榮ecretary鈥� of the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission.
Taking part in the amendment discussion Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said that the work of the commerce ministry was to control commodity prices.
There is also an organisation called the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh which sells fair price products in the market, he added.
鈥楢t the upazila level, I have seen that a card has been given by which five to six products can be purchased. Many people cannot take it. Those who do not need those should also take other items from the TCB,鈥� he said.
He criticised the TCB for forcing people to take what was not needed along with what was needed.
He said that if the commerce ministry enacted any law to control the market and break syndicates, it could be said that the ministry was doing a good job.
鈥楢t various times they [Commerce Ministry] try to control the market. The market seems to be fine when they go to market. But when they leave the market, the market returns to its former state,鈥� he said, adding that he does not know whether the commerce ministry has powers for breaking syndicates and controlling commodity prices.
Hafiz Uddin alleged that the prices of all products increased in the market.
鈥楾he price of medicine is increasing uncontrollably. I don鈥檛 know where the companies will take the billions made as profit. Pharmaceutical companies evade duty, and bring raw materials with low duty but the price is high in our country,鈥� he added.
He said that if the price of medicine was controlled, people would get better treatment.
鈥楾here is a suggestion about reducing the price of cancer drugs and kidney treatment by law. Are the pharmaceutical companies coming from outside? Do they have no conscience to increase medicine prices?鈥� he said.
The bill is not tabled in the interest of the people, independent lawmaker Pankaj Nath said, adding that people鈥檚 interest would be there if the Tariff Commission is tasked with determining the prices of consumer goods, daily commodities, ensuring their availability in market and coordination of import and production.
鈥楤reaking syndicates and making daily products available to poor people is the work of the Tariff Commission,鈥� he said.
He criticised bringing the bill to the parliament just to change a word.
鈥業t is a waste of money to call three hundred and fifty lawmakers of the parliament to change a single word from 鈥榮ecretary鈥� to 鈥榙irector鈥�, putting the prime minister in front of you [minister],鈥� he said.