FE Report

Traders of Moulvibazar, the country's leading wholesale market, at an urgent meeting Sunday urged the government to postpone the procedures of arresting eight sugar traders.

Earlier, the government ordered to arrest eight sugar traders of Moulvibazar for their alleged role in manipulating sugar prices through capitalising its increased demand during the Ramadan and the Eid-ul-Fitr.

The traders hurriedly organised the meeting, where all leading traders of the wholesale market spoke. Haji Enayet Ullah, president of Moulvibazar Paikary Babosaye Somity, presided over the meeting.

Abdur Razzak, a senior trader of the market, told the FE: "We are requesting the government to postpone the arrest procedures, as there is an information gap between the government and the traders."

"Refiners claimed that they had supplied over 1,22,000 tonnes of sugar across the country during Ramadan, but we got only 2,500 tonnes," Razzak, a former president of the association, told the FE.

However, the traders are likely to meet Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) chief Annisul Huq today (Monday) to discuss the issue.