<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Inflation rose to 9.33 percent, the highest in 7 months, the Planning Ministry said on Tuesday citing data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Inflation jumped to 8.78 percent in February, up from 8.57 percent in January, on a point-to-point basis, according to the BBS.</div><div><br></div><div>The higher inflation forces people reduce their consumption and fixed and limited income groups of people have to return home with less in shopping basket.</div><div><br></div><div>In the month of February, 8.19 percent of inflation was recorded in food and 9.98 percent in non-food products. At that time, there was a 7.98 percent inflation in food products and 9.61 percent in non-food products in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier in August last year, inflation rose to over 9 percent. That rate of inflation was the highest in the last 11.9 years (144 months). In May 2011, the highest rate of inflation was 10.20 percent. After that, inflation never exceeded 9 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>After August 2022, the inflation rate continued to decline again. In January this year, it decreased by 8.57 percent, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, inflationary pressure is still higher in rural areas than in urban areas, according to the latest estimates.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>