The government says it is arranging the security of the members of the public during Ramadan. I no longer care. Government and the high-profile businessmen of the country are busy in assessing the feasibility of the $2 billion investment by Tata. I could not be bothered in the least nor am I too excited about it. I could neither care less nor be worried by the ugly "faces" of our politicians and their cheap and senseless bickering. I am not worried about our cricket team creating the legacy of a champion loser!

I am not worried about which intellectual belongs to which of the two major political parties. I am not worried about which newspaper represents which of the political parties. I am not worried about the accident of the F-28 at the Sylhet airport the other day. For all I care, our Ministry of Aviation, in collusion with corrupt officials and business houses, could go ahead and buy more of these obsolete aircrafts, and ensure more deaths and disasters in the future. I am not worried about the pitiable state and the rocketing costs of medical services. I am neither interested nor care whether the Judiciary is separated from the Executive or not.

One is thus likely to ask me as to what is it that I am worried about? Yes, I am right at this time extremely worried about the spiraling of prices of essentials. I am worried since this concerns over 70 percent of our population belonging to the so-called middle class and the poorer section.

It is a shame for a country 87 percent of whose people are Muslims when the rising of prices takes place every year during the Ramadan and the Eid festival. Is this the kind of spirit of Islam we are pursuing? This should alone be a matter of shame for the entire nation. Is this a part and parcel of our proud heritage of so-called democratic traditions? Believe me if that is what it represents I do not wish to be a part of any such fake slogans! I wonder whatever happened to these poor and the so-called middle class that they too have taken the backseat and have decided to do nothing about it and continue to suffer silently? How can all these corrupt and unscrupulous traders and businessmen continue to operate year after year? I see every year serious meetings are held prior to the advent of the Ramadan. High profile civil bureaucrats of various ministries and lawmakers come to these meetings in the comforts of luxurious Pajeros and Nissan Patrols and return home after making tall promises and measures assuring stable prices. Yet nothing happens. Why should they worry when they can buy anything and everything no matter what the prices are? Will no one take them to task?

While the present regime is engaged in celebrating its three years of success, the opposition is busy trying to bring down the government and be in the seat of power. No one ever thinks of these unfortunate people. At times I have the feeling that this country has been custom tailored for the corrupt, the rich, and the unscrupulous. The Pajeros and the BMW owners are not only destined to be the king of our roads but also lead a life worthy of kings. But do they also realise that their kingdom will someday, sooner than later, crumple like a pack of cards? It is three decades since we gained our independence and yet these (the poor and the vanishing middle class) people continue to barely survive, with any visible improvements in their lifestyle year after year.

The difference between the violent deaths caused by small arms and the criminals as against choking due to rising prices is this that, this is a process in which millions will die a slow death due to hunger and malnutrition.

How long shall we be held hostage in the hands of these unscrupulous traders? The government will do nothing about it. The rich and the affluent will do nothing about it. The politicians and our lawmakers will do nothing about it. The civil society will do nothing about it. Strangest of all, the affected will also do nothing about it. I say boycott the traders, gherao the wholesalers, take out silent processions across market places in order to create a kind of awareness, both amongst the traders and the buyers at large. One can perhaps survive without high priced red meat or fancy dates or some such items, but not without rice, pulses, or such basic vegetables like aubergine. How can anyone be quiet and watch buying and selling of aubergine at Tk. 80 per kg in a country like Bangladesh? Let us for God's sake, for once at least, think of the well being of the day labourers, the rickshaw pullers, the people in the lowest bracket of fixed wages both of government and private organisations, the bricklayers, the cobblers, the laborers and the boatmen in our countryside.

Shamsher Chowdhury is a freelance writer.