<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>As it watched the country’s foreign exchange reserves keep draining away, from the peak of $48.1 billion in August 2021 to a net figure that may be less than $13 billion today, Bangladesh Bank became engaged in studying the minutiae of different types of calculations and definitions of a country’s reserve holdings, and all their different interpretations, like an A Levels Macroeconomics student.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The convoluted discussion it created around the country’s reserves - this formula, that formula, IMF manuals, and payouts from the reserve in the form of loans that were not initially disclosed, have all contributed to a cloud over the entire situation for a while now. Consumers are forced to grapple with all kinds of different information becoming and some unethical traders are cashing in on this by increasing prices arbitrarily.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As a result, common people are suffering as businesses and different trading syndicates have taken to using the pretext of ‘the dollar crisis’ to hike prices. Talking with common people, economists and businesses, the correspondent got this opinion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mohammed Alam, 50, from Charfashion in Bhola, has been working in the Moghbazar area of Dhaka as an electrician for the last 17 years. He is self-employed and works on call if anybody needs an electric line installed, a fan to be setup, etc.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the last one month, since Eid ul Fitr, Alam has been charging a minimum bill of Tk500 for any call leading to a home visit. Till Eid this year, and for the longest time in fact, this service was charged Tk300, reports UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We would not be able to provide service if anyone offered below Tk500, as prices of food, medicine, utility bills, our own expenses have shot up since the dollar crisis started. Why can’t our service bill increase,” said Alam.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd/fas</div>