Economy
Inflation finally dawns on youth as potato crackers price increased
For a generation that evaluates the economy based on carbonated drink prices, it took a while for Bangladeshi youth to perceive the true gravity of the ongoing economic inflation. The concerned youth didn’t flinch during the oil price hike or as the dollar market rose higher by the hour. But as it turns out, the price hike of Potato Crackers chips is where they draw the line.
“The first wave started with the increase of the 250 ml Coca-Cola price. It was tough but we had to resort to our last option – Bepis,” says Shadman Sakib, a victim of the recent Potato Crackers crisis, “But what about Potato Crackers? I can’t just replace it with the closest knockoff! It’s potato chips, not my undergrad from Canada where I can just choose the University of Newfoundland if Manitoba’s not an option!”
Unlike the dollar market crisis or oil price hike, the Potato Crackers price hike has affected the privileged classes as well. Panic floods the streets of Gulshan, Banani and the urban and more privileged sections of Uttara. Supermarkets have reportedly run out of stocks of Potato Crackers as victims are fearing prices rising even further in the future.
Bashir Wayne, an eminent icon of the privileged class, expressed his concern, “I’m the least bothered when it comes to money. I don’t get the panic among the peasants regarding the dollar price hike. If things are too expensive for you to buy in taka, just pay in dollars using your father’s credit card. The Bangladeshi currency inflation can’t affect you if you don’t use Bangladeshi currency in the first place! I can’t believe our economists haven’t yet come up with this simple solution.”
“However, the Potato Crackers crisis made me realize that we, as a nation, are in grave danger,” continued Bashir, “Just like my father tries to bypass the taxation policies of our country, I also tried to bypass the crisis and order Potato Crackers on Amazon. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available and now I have to live my worst nightmare – pay for something in cash on my own and live like a commoner.”
Acclaimed economist and Nobel laureate Dr. You-Know-Who dissected the financial strategy of our youth, “The panic regarding price hike of Potato Crackers among our youth is equivalent to the panic regarding oil prices among our boomers. While nations evaluate the economy in terms of gold reserves, import-export index or local market prices of commodities, our youth measures it through prices of energy drinks, chips, inflammable death sticks and the availability of vouchers on food delivery apps. For them to understand the gravity of the inflation, we must dumb the economic terms down to their IQ and explain it to them as you’d to a 4-year-old.”
Dr. You-Know-Who’s new book ‘Inflation for the Mentally Inflated’ intends to explain the financial crisis to Bangladeshi youth and create the much-needed panic among them so that they can be more financially responsible, save their money and invest in more fruitful ventures.
At least 20 Umrah pilgrims were killed and 29 injured in a horrific bus crash southwest of Saudi Arabia, according to Gulf News reports.
The passenger bus crashed into a bridge on Monday, overturned, and caught fire, killing 20 and injuring 29.
According to Saudi media, the accident occurred around 4pm on the 14 km-long Aqabat Shaar road in the Asir province, as the bus was traveling from Khamis Mushayt to Abha.
The road, according to Saudi Press Agency, cuts through mountains, and has 11 tunnels and 32 bridges. When the bus was making its way down a bridge it underwent a brake failure, which caused it to crash into a barrier at the end of the bridge, overturn and catch fire. About 29 other people were also injured in the accident, according to reports.
The Saudi civil defense and Red Crescent Authority teams rushed to the site of the accident and cordoned off the area.
The deceased and the injured have reportedly been transferred to nearby hospitals.
Greeting Bangladesh, the United Nations on Sunday (26th March) said Bangladesh has many accomplishments — extraordinary economic development, a significant cultural legacy, leadership on a global stage for climate-vulnerable countries, and immense generosity in welcoming and hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees.
“The hospitality of Bangladesh’s diverse people is just one of the many facets of a country that my colleagues and I have been fortunate to experience every day,” UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis said in a press statement on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I warmly congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the 52nd anniversary of independence,” she said.
Over the last 52 years, Bangladesh has made impressive and remarkable achievements: evolving from a war-torn country to one of the leading economic powers in South Asia, standing at the threshold of upcoming graduation from least developed countries (LDCs) in 2026, and planned achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) by 2030, she said.
The UN fully supports Bangladesh’s commitments to economic and sustainable development and appreciates the strong and long-lasting relationship with Bangladesh and our shared values.
The constitution of the country, which was adopted even before Bangladesh had formally become a member of the United Nations in 1974, guarantees fundamental human rights. The right to freedom of speech, religion, movement and assembly, the right to speak one’s own language and other rights that are in line with the UN charter, said the UNRC.
“Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day!” — she concluded.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina & President M Abdul Hamid paid rich tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Memorial at Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka early on Sunday (26th March), marking the 53rd Independence and National Day.
The president first placed the wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the prime minister.
After laying the wreaths, the president and the premier stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect for the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971.
A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute at that time while the bugles played the last post.
The head of the state and the head of the government also signed the visitors’ book kept on the memorial premises.
Flanked by her party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the president of the Awami League, paid glowing tributes to the Liberation War martyrs by placing another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of her party.
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, senior AL leaders, leaders of AL-led 14-party alliance and high civil and military officials, among others, were present there.
Later, the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) speaker and the chief justice also paid homage to the martyrs by placing wreaths at the National Mausoleum.
Every year, March 26 brings the most tragic reminiscence of history’s blackest episode that heralded a nine-month bloody ordeal from the night of March 25, 1971, achieving the long-cherished independence on December 16 the same year at the cost of a sea of blood.
In the wake of the military crackdown by the then Pakistan occupation force, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh through the then EPR (East Pakistan Rifles) wireless at 00-30 hours on March 26 (the night following March 25) in 1971 at his historic Road-32 residence at Dhanmondi in Dhaka.
The day is very auspicious and precious to the Bengali nation.
