The High Court has asked the government to explain the sudden price hike of soya bean oil.
The court also asked why the government's inaction in curbing the hike should not be termed illegal.
The bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hussain gave the ruling on Sunday based on a petition challenging the validity of the price hike.
It also asked the respondents to act to the ruling within two weeks.
Commerce secretary, finance secretary, Trading Corporation Bangladesh (TCB) chairman, chief import and export controller, Chittagong port authority chief, consumer rights protection directorate director general (DG), inspector general of police (IGP), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) DG and the president and general secretary of Soya Bean Oil Importers Association have been made the respondents in the petition.
The court also asked the commerce ministry to submit a report within four weeks detailing the prices at which soya bean oil was imported on different dates from different countries.
The petition for the court intervention was filed by rights organisation Human Rights for Peace Bangladesh based on a report published in a Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo on Nov 24.
The organisation's lawyer Monzil Morshed said in the petition's hearing, "A group of unscrupulous businessmen are behind this price hike of soya bean oil. Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 bestows government with the responsibility of tackling the price increase."
Morshed added that the rise in prices of an essential like soya bean will affect citizens financially, which is also a violation of the constitution.
Source: bdnews24.com
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