High inflation continues biting ordinary people 

From daily necessities to house rent, transportation, and even life-saving medicines, signs of silent inflation are now evident everywhere. Prices may not rise sharply overnight, but this slow and steady increase is gradually making life more burdensome for ordinary people. Every year, people from various professions migrate to cities in search of work and livelihood, causing Dhaka's population to grow by an average of 3-4 percent annually. Along with this population growth, expenses for housing, food, transportation, and healthcare are increasing abnormally, steadily eroding the quality of life across all professions.

At present, the prices of essential commodities continue to rise at an alarming pace. A product's price increases little by little until it eventually reaches a level beyond the reach of ordinary people. This gradual change ultimately turns into abnormal inflation. Such inflation does not affect only the urban poor; its impact spreads across all layers of society. Silently and steadily, this inflation acts as an invisible killer within society.

The biggest victims of this silent inflation are arguably the urban middle class-those struggling to survive on modest incomes, for whom living in the city is not a luxury but a compulsion. Taking advantage of this reality, house rents are increased every year without any reasonable justification. As a result, a major portion of a salaried person's income is spent merely on securing a place to live.
Urban markets have now become a clear reflection of silent inflation. A visit to the market reveals how the prices of different items rise day by day. Rice, lentils, oil, vegetables, or fish-almost all essential goods are becoming gradually more expensive, yet without any formal announcement of price hikes. This strategy of increasing prices by one or two taka at a time may go unnoticed by consumers, but the real burden becomes clear when monthly expenses are calculated. Reduced quantities at the same price, declining quality, or being forced to switch to inferior alternatives all indicate that city markets are no longer designed for ordinary people. Instead, they have quietly turned into testing grounds for survival, where 40 to 50 percent of income is often spent solely on food and housing.

In contrast, rural markets present a somewhat different picture. During the winter season, prices of seasonal vegetables remain relatively affordable. Yet farmers, unable to get fair prices, often destroy their produce or sell it at very low rates. Once these same vegetables reach city markets, their prices double or even triple. This disparity between rural and urban market prices exposes the true face of silent inflation. During winter, vegetables are sold cheaply in villages, but city consumers must pay two or three times more for the same items. Similar patterns are observed in the prices of rice, lentils, oil, eggs, and fish. This price gap proves that the problem lies not in production, but in the dominance of middlemen and weak market management. Silently, this inequality makes urban life increasingly difficult for ordinary people. The question remains-if farmers do not receive fair prices and consumers cannot buy comfortably, who is truly benefiting?

The growing dominance of middlemen and weak market management are primarily responsible for worsening this inequality over time. This mismanagement has spread nationwide to such an extent that uprooting it has become extremely difficult. In this harsh reality, the most concerning issue is the absence of a comprehensive resistance against silent inflation. Occasional market inspections fail to address the root problems. Due to unchecked profit-seeking by middlemen, weak supply systems, and unaccountable regulatory mechanisms, ordinary people continue to suffer day after day. Meanwhile, the gap between policymakers' statistics and real market conditions keeps widening, leaving the true pressures on people's lives largely ignored. Silent inflation is not merely a natural market trend; it is the result of long-standing mismanagement and negligence.

The impact of silent inflation is not only economic; it also leaves deep and lasting effects on mental health. Anxiety over balancing monthly expenses, uncertainty about the future, and constant pressure to cut essential costs push ordinary urban residents into persistent mental stress. Compromises on food quality, healthcare, or education eventually damage people's self-respect and confidence. Tension grows within families, while happiness and peace gradually diminish. Quietly, this economic pressure turns into mental exhaustion and despair, which may create even greater social problems in the long run.

Silent inflation in cities is not merely a problem faced by ordinary people; it is a reflection of broader social mismanagement. The lack of fair pricing, a sound market system, and effective monitoring has allowed the negligence of middlemen and weak policymaking to create a long-term public crisis. On one side, farmers are deprived of fair prices; on the other, consumers struggle to maintain a normal life. To break this cycle, a conscious society, a responsible government, and strong, transparent regulatory mechanisms are essential. Strict punishment and sustained monitoring are urgently needed; otherwise, this invisible crisis will grow more dangerous, turning the lives of ordinary people into a slow journey of decline.