For consumers in the country 1994 was a bad year.

According to an estimate of the Consumer's Association of Bangladesh (CAB), the cost of living has shot up by 4.5 per cent while prices of essentials by 9.55 In comparison to those of 1993,

According to the CAB re-jxirt on annual prlce».and cost of living released yesterday, the prices of fish and rice have shot up to the highest, which are 40.98 and 26.32 per cent respectively.

The price of edible oil has soared by an unappetising percentage of 17.98. of which butter oil rose by 50 per cent, soyabean 14.21. dalda 24.14 and coconut oil 3.12 per cent.

The CAB. comparing the commodity prices between Det ember 1993 with the cor-rrspondlng period this year. said along with price hike of commodities, housing problem has become acute In the cities as well asn rural areas.

The house rent has jumped up by 16.44 per cent. The rent per room of a pucca house rose by 9. seml-pucca 14.73. kutcha 14.08. mess room 18.52 and slum by 25.88 per cent.

The average percentage of price hike of atta-flour-aemol a (suji) is over 11. Price of alta rose by Tk 2.57 per kg

The price of pulse went up by 2.7 per cent, garlic by 28.20 per cent.

However, the price of onion decreased in the last one year by 57 per cent and the per

centage of price hike of spices In general was 0.25.

The price of meat increased up by 15 46 per cent eggs 6.28. and powder milk 1.98

Clothes became dearer by 14.42 per cent, of which local cloth becanje costlier by 22 39 and foreign 8.29 and sarec 4.42 per cent.

The price of gas was in creased by the government in 1994 by 20.23 per cent.

The CAB notes that, most of the prices were Increased by both the government and the traders without any warning or explanation in the last six months beginning June 94

Although fresh supply of nee began, there is no sign of the price returning to normal, the CAB observed.