The government cannot bring down the escalating prices of essential commodities if Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars continue, a senior cabinet minister says.

It appears that the entire world has become a battlefield, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader lamented while speaking at a press conference in the party chief’s political office in Dhaka on Saturday.

“War means rise in commodity prices. We’re trying to bring the prices under control as much as possible, but they cannot be controlled fully if the wars continue,” Quader said, citing the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, other parts of Africa and the rest of the world.

When a journalist asked why the government efforts to bring prices down were failing, Quader, who is also the Awami League general secretary, said: “Please show me where prices are under control in the world – from the US, to the UK, to Europe, Africa or the Middle East. They are fluctuating everywhere.”

Another reporter asked why locally produced green chilli and tomatoes are costlier. Quader replied: “Has anyone died of hunger in Bangladesh even amid so many crises? Is there a shortage of money in the market? People were still shopping at 3am before the last Eid.

“How are people buying if they don’t have money? In fact, people’s purchasing power has increased.”

He defended the decision to raise electricity prices. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid had earlier clarified the hike was necessary to cut government subsidies for the sector, said Quader.

A recent Bloomberg report alleged former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury amassed properties worth over £200 million in the UK, which was not mentioned in his affidavit before his reelection as an MP in the Jan 7 election.

Quader said the government was checking the Bloomberg report. “No one will be spared after committing corruption. I won’t name a particular minister, but no one will be spared, be it a minister or someone else.”

He also responded to allegations that India openly controlled Bangladesh’s general election.

“India is our tested friend and they stood by us when (some) foreign powers tried to play a game during the recent election. And I don’t believe anyone can control Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Quader remarked.