Dhaka, Aug. 19 -- Rice is more than a staple in Bangladesh - it is the backbone of food security and a central driver of household expenditure.

That is why the continued rise in rice prices, even during the peak Boro harvest and despite falling international prices, is both abnormal and deeply alarming.

According to the General Economics Division (GED), rice alone accounted for more than half of July's food inflation.

Medium and coarse varieties contributed over 42 per cent of the burden, while all three categories of rice experienced double-digit inflation, reports The New Nation on Monday. Such a scenario defies economic logic.

Importers enjoy a 20 per cent duty exemption, and the government's procurement target has been surpassed. ...