With Ramadan still two months away, the prices of most of the essential commodities, including rice, flour, onion, potato, garlic, ginger, gram pulse, and vegetables, have skyrocketed in the capital in a week, reports Daily Sun.
“Traders usually increase prices two to three months ahead of Ramadan. When the government pressures them, they slightly reduce prices,” said Consumers Association of Bangladesh Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain.
Some unscrupulous traders raised the prices when consumers, the administration, and law enforcers were busy with the national elections, he said.
The Awami League in its election manifesto pledged to keep commodity prices within everyone's purchasing power. But traders increased prices soon after the elections and are making huge profits.
Beef prices in Mirpur 12, 11, 6, and Mohammadpur increased to Tk 700-750 per kg from Tk 650 in a week, broiler chicken to Tk 220-230 per kg from Tk 200-210, and sonali chicken to Tk 340 per kg from Tk330.
Potato prices went up to Tk 70 per kg from Tk 60 and murikata onion to Tk 100 per kg from Tk 90. Local garlic prices rose to Tk 300 per kg from Tk260-280 and that of the imported one to Tk 280 per kg from Tk 240.
Besides, newly-harvested ginger prices increased to Tk 280 per kg from Tk 260 and that of the imported variety to Tk 260 per kg from Tk 240.
Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) General Secretary Shah Emran said that last month’s decision to sell beef at Tk 650 per kg came from a joint meeting of BDFA and Bangladesh Meat Traders Association at Sadeeq Agro’s Mohammadpur office.
Gram pulse prices went up to Tk 100-110 per kg from Tk 85-90, lentil to Tk 150-160 per kg from Tk 140, and anchor lentil to Tk 75-80 per kg from Tk 65 in a couple of weeks.
The prices of all kinds of rice also increased. Fine rice prices rose to Tk 70-75 per kg from Tk 65-70, medium-quality rice to Tk 56 per kg from Tk 53, and coarse rice to Tk 50-52 per kg from Tk 50.
Green papaya prices rose to Tk 50 per kg from Tk 40, bean to Tk 80-100 per kg from Tk 60-70, cauliflower and cabbage to Tk 50-60 per piece from Tk 40-50, bottle gourd to Tk 100-120 per piece from Tk 70, brinjal to Tk 100-120 per kg from Tk 80-100. Besides, ribbed gourd, sponge gourd, and yardlong bean prices went up to Tk 80-100 per kg from Tk 70-80.
Packaged flour prices increased to Tk 55-65 per kg from Tk 55-60 and non-packaged refined flour to Tk 65-70 per kg from Tk 60-70.
bd-pratidin/GR
