Despite taking many visible steps, numerous oligarchic powers still dominate the market, posing a significant challenge for the economy, said Hossain Zillur Rahman, an economist.

To tackle the current inflationary pressure, steps should be taken to address this oligarchic market power, which has widened their reach to a different level in the last 15 years, he said.

He made the comments at the launch of the sixth edition of the Banking Almanac, a book published by ShikkhaBichitra as a research project with the assistance of Bangladesh Bank and other banks and financial institutions.

Rahman, the acting chairman of the board of editors of the Banking Almanac, chaired the launching ceremony at the Cirdap auditorium in Dhaka today.

The interim government is working to create an information hub for the financial and social sectors, enabling investors to access all relevant information from a single platform with just one click, said Salehuddin Ahmed, finance adviser and the chief guest of the event.

Regular and timely publication of the Banking Almanac is important, as it will help investors, bankers and depositors to get actual information, he said.

The lack of accurate data availability has hindered the formulation of social and financial policies in Bangladesh in the past, said the adviser.

Therefore, the government is prioritising the creation of a centralised source for reliable information, which is also a fundamental right of the citizens, he added.