Amid a supply shortage of bottled soybean oil, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said that he has been consuming non-brand and non-bottled soybean oil for the last three weeks.

"For the last three weeks, my entire family and I have been using loose soybean oil because there is no difference between loose and packaged oil -- except for the price. The price of bottled oil is unnecessarily high," he said at a discussion in Dhaka today.

The Daily Bonik Barta organised the programme, titled "Fair pricing of food commodities: searching market supervision strategies", at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka today.

Reflecting on his childhood, he said, "I remember my father and other family members bringing home loose oil. To me, it seems more environment-friendly and cost-effective."

"So why would I pay extra for packaged oil?"

The adviser said that Shwapno, the largest local retail chain, sought approval to sell loose soybean oil, and they approved it.

Regarding commodity prices, he said, "Considering the global market trends, prices in our country should actually decrease. I see no reason for them to rise."

"We aim to make the Competition Commission completely independent to ensure there are no anti-competitive practices in the market. The ministry should have no interference in its operations," added the adviser.

He also criticised the state of the banking sector, saying, "Over the past 15 years, banks have been turned into criminal institutions. Islami Bank Bangladesh has been destroyed."