However

Government employees will start receiving higher salaries from July. Hearing the news, many have probably already picked up calculators to estimate how much of an increment they will get. Some may also be breathing a sigh of relief, thinking, “It had become impossible to survive in this market.” Higher salaries for government officials may be justified, but one concern always remains, salaries rise, prices tend to rise as well.

People are almost left gasping after hearing the price of potatoes in the market. Buying eggs now feels like carrying home bars of gold. Fish and meat, meanwhile, have become luxury items reserved for entertaining guests for many families.

The man who patrols the neighborhood all night blowing a whistle has not received a raise. The security guard who opens the gate every morning for officegoers still runs his family on the same income. Salaries in the private sector remain unchanged as well. Garment workers, delivery riders, shop employees, and small business owners all face the same market reality. Rice is not sold to them at a different price.

Many economists argue that raising salaries only in the public sector increases demand in the market and may fuel inflationary pressure if production or employment does not increase alongside it. The government, however, has assured that “the market will not be affected.”

In Bangladesh, that statement carries a certain historical significance. Authorities say the market will remain unaffected even after fuel prices rise, or when the dollar rate or VAT increases. In the end, only the market mysteriously continues to climb.