Finance minister AMA Muhit on Sunday blamed the media for hyping concerns over price hikes in kitchen markets essentials, claiming instead that consumers were content with the situation.

"It is right that some prices have increased. But we have not seen any dissatisfaction from the consumers," Muhith told reporters after a meeting on commodity prices at the Secretariat. He blamed the media for failing to accurately reflect the state of market prices, saying journalists had "reported greater increases in commodity prices than exist in the market".

Muhith also said dishonest traders had taken advantage of the situation and increased their prices. The trend of increasing prices in certain commodities over Ramadan, such as eggplant and chilli, has long existed, said Muhith. "I have personally noticed this tendency from my long experience," he said.

Muhith said the government is trying its utmost to control kitchen market prices during the fasting period. "The Trade Corporation of Bangladesh is working hard to control the market, and we have decided to import eggs to bring their prices under control. The price of sugar will also be maintained at a tolerable level," Muhith said.