The local soybean oil market has been in crisis for an extended period. Although five-litre bottles of soybean oil are available in Dhaka’s local markets, two-litre bottles remain scarce.
The supply of loose soybean oil and palm oil has been normal. However, consumers are agitated due to the hike in prices. According to them, syndicates are behind this surged price. They blame the government for failing to control these syndicates.
A consumer named Moriom Aktar, at the Mohakhali kitchen market on Wednesday, told Bangladesh Pratidin that people had anticipated the post-uprising government would break these syndicates. However, when the price was hiked by Tk 14 per litre, their hopes were shattered.
The government set the price of bottled soybean oil at Tk 189 per litre and Tk 922 per five litres, while loose soybean oil and loose palm oil were fixed at Tk 169 per litre.
Upon visiting Karwan Bazar and its surrounding areas on Wednesday, it was found that the supply of two-litre soybean oil bottles has yet to return to normal. Five-litre bottled soybean oil was being sold at Tk 922 in the market. Moreover, bottled palm oil was being sold at Tk 155 per litre, loose palm oil at Tk 170, and loose soybean oil at Tk 190 per kilogram.
Shoppers at the market reported that although the newly-priced two-litre bottles are not available, five-litre bottles are available, albeit in limited quantity.
The owner of Rana Enterprise at Karwan Bazar kitchen market, Md. Nazrul, said that currently, two companies are supplying soybean oil in local markets. He noted that only two cartons are being supplied against a daily demand of 10 cartons.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain stressed that the price of oil has been raised by spreading deceptive information. He said this decision must be revoked soon.
Translated & edited by Fariha Nowshin Chinika
