Food prices rose in August, keeping up with the hike since July, while the overall inflation rate was relatively lower in the month compared to the same period last year, according to a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) report.
The report published on Thursday showed that August’s overall inflation on point-to-point basis (compared with August last year) was 7.39 percent against 7.85 percent in July.
The inflation was 2.08 percent in the food sector in August on monthly basis (compared to July this year).
For non-food sectors, the inflation was 0.44 percent in August, compared to July.
“Prices of food items including rice, flour, fish, egg, vegetables, spices, and milk have risen in August. That is why the inflation in food has been higher than in July,” BBS Director General Golam Mostofa Kamal said while revealing the latest statistics on inflation at a press briefing.
“Food inflation in August on point-to-point basis (compared with August last year) was 8.09 percent against 8.14 percent in July.”
For the non-food sectors, the inflation decreased to 6.35 percent in August from July’s 7.4 percent.
The BBS Director General said they took into account prices of 318 items in rural areas and 422 in the towns while compiling the report on inflation.
Meanwhile, inflation rate went down at rural and town levels in August.
Inflation on point-to-point basis in rural areas stood at 6.90 percent in August, which was 7.43 percent in July. Also inflation in towns came down to 8.34 percent in August from July’s 8.64 percent.
Mostofa Kamal said the rate of hike in wages also rose compared to the inflation rate. Wages on point-to-point basis increased to 10.23 percent in August, he added.
Source: Bd news24
