Businesspeople and chamber leaders yesterday committed that they will keep the prices of essentials at tolerable level duringthe month of Ramadan.

The commitment came at a meeting of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) with its President Annisul Huq in the chair.

With this end in view the businessmen and chamber leaders will open some retail outlets in different districts and upazilas to sell the essential commodities at fair prices, they said.

Chamber leaders and their representatives from almost all the districts, and importers and wholesalers of essentials attended the meeting and vowed to keep the prices at tolerable level in Ramadan.

Annisul Huq said although FBCCI cannot directly control the prices of essential commodities, it can contribute indirectly to keeping the prices at tolerable level by selling those at retail outlets across the country in the time of need.

"We will try to open as many outlets of essential commodities across the country as we can during Ramadan," Huq said.

He said FBCCI will meet with the leaders of all retail markets of the city soon to advise them to minimise the price gap between wholesale and retail prices.

Meanwhile, the FBCCI has launched a website where data of almost all essential commodities will be available.

After launching the website Convener of the Price Monitoring Cell of FBCCI Kamaluddin Ahmed said the FBCCI will supply the compiled data to the media on every third day of a week to make those available for the consumers.

At the meeting President of Narsingdi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mosharraf Hossain committed that he will operate some retail outlets of essential commodities in his district during Ramadan giving Tk 2000 subsidy for per tonne of essentials.

Some other chamber leaders also made such commitment.