Dhaka, April 5 -- As high inflation is straining family budgets, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has raised concerns that war in the Middle East will not only fuel an energy crisis, but also raise food prices.

He said, "The fuel crisis is an additional crisis. A catastrophe. The problems I mentioned are like beating a dead horse. That is all happening through the fuel crisis.

"It isn't just the fuel crisis. All commodity food items will be affected. Everything will be affected. The total supply chain is being impacted and there is no doubt that the prices of everything will increase in the coming days."

The finance and planning minister made the remarks to the media after a national-level multi-stakeholder consultation me...