Agriculture Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today warned that any agriculture officer found involved in manipulating onion prices will be dismissed.
He issued the warning after an emergency meeting with all district agriculture officers at the Secretariat, called in response to the sudden rise in onion prices.
The adviser said the country has enough onion stock, but a dishonest group has driven prices up. Onion prices jumped by Tk 40–45 per kg on Wednesday but dropped today after the government allowed limited imports starting December 7 to stabilize the market.
He said the government will identify those behind the manipulation and sought the media’s help in exposing them.
Jahangir Alam stressed maintaining a balance between farmers’ and consumers’ interests, noting that selling onions at around Tk 70 per kg benefits both sides.
He also said the government is considering subsidies for potato farmers affected by falling prices. There is no fertilizer shortage, he added, but fertilizer use in tobacco farming will be restricted to discourage cultivation.
The adviser urged the public to stay alert against using fertilizer in fish and cattle feed, calling it a serious threat to public health.
