Dhaka, April 4 -- The Directorate General of Drug Administration on Tuesday announced new prices for 23 types of stents, commonly called heart rings in Bangladesh, proudly claiming the rates of 22 have been reduced.

"This is a groundbreaking step by the Directorate General of Drug Administration in cutting prices of heart rings," it said in the notice.

But compared with the last set of prices fixed on Dec 12, 2023, which the government agency ignored in its analysis, the latest rates of 20 types have actually increased by Tk 2,000-Tk 10,000.

An official has claimed they did not take into consideration the last list because the suppliers did not follow it.

According to the December 2023 list, the price of Poland-made Alex and Alex Plus...