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Food inflation in the country soared to 15% in December last, significantly higher than the 12% reported by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), according to a Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) survey.
The findings of the survey conducted by the think tank recently were published through an event at its office in Agargaon on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, BIDS Director General Dr Binayak Sen highlighted the implications of this steep rise in prices, particularly for low-income individuals who are disproportionately affected.
He underscored the need for the urgency of addressing the challenges posed by inflation to ensure the well-being of vulnerable segments of society.
Explaining the methodology employed by BIDS to calculate inflation, BinayakSennoted that data was collected from all districts of the country and analysed using a specialised approach. This methodology provided a comprehensive view of the inflationary pressures faced by consumers nationwide.
Recent data from the BBS indicates a general increase in headline inflation, reaching 9.81% in March. Both food and non-food inflation witnessed a rise, with food inflation climbing to 9.87% and non-food inflation to 9.64%.
The BIDS director general attributed the significant high inflation to soaring prices of fish, which have surged by over 20% in the past year. Poultry chicken prices have also experienced substantial increases, further exacerbating inflationary pressures.
