DOT Desk: Point-to-point inflation in the country further declined to 5.35 per cent in December from that of 5.37 per cent in November, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data, reports The New Age.
Food inflation and non-food inflation also dropped in the month despite apprehension of rise in inflation in the month due to election-centric expenditure spree by candidates in national polls that held on December 30.
Planning minister AHM Mostafa Kamal on Wednesday released the inflation data at a press briefing held at the planning ministry in Dhaka.
He said that the rate of inflation did not rise in December though there was an apprehension that it would rise in the month amid election-centric expenditure.
The prices of sugar and milk, the two items demand for which sharply increases during an election, remained at the lowest compared with that in recent times, he said, adding that the price of sugar reached a 10-year low in the international market.
According to the BBS data, food inflation decreased to 5.28 per cent while non-food inflation dropped to 5.45 per cent in December.
Food inflation and non-food inflation were 5.29 per cent and 5.49 per cent respectively in November.
Overall inflation, food inflation and non-food inflation in urban areas decreased in December.
In rural areas, both general inflation and food inflation remained unchanged at 4.91 per cent and 4.84 per cent respectively while non-food inflation slightly declined to 5.05 per cent in December from 5.06 per cent a month ago.
In December, the rates of point-to-point inflation, food inflation and non-food inflation stood at 6.14 per cent, 6.27 per cent and 5.99 per cent respectively in urban areas, which were 6.21 per cent, 6.32 per cent and 6.09 per cent respectively in the previous month.
Prices of food items like rice, pulse, vegetables and spices, and expenditures for non-food items like clothes, house rent, electricity, medical service, transport and education materials increased in December, BBS data showed.
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