The prices of essential commodities including aubergine and green chilli jumped in the city’s kitchen markets over the week as Ramadan, the fasting month for the Muslims, began on Friday.
Aubergine price increased by 130 per cent to Tk 100-Tk 110 a kilogram in the week ending Friday from Tk 40-Tk 45 a kg in the previous week.
The price of green chilli rose by 100 per cent to Tk 60 a kg from Tk 30-Tk 35 a kg.
Consumers said the abnormal hike in the prices of aubergine and green chilli were nothing but the market manipulation by a quarter of dishonest traders.
‘More than 100 per cent increase in the prices of aubergine and green chilli within three days is not acceptable. It is nothing but the practice of some businesspeople who take consumers hostages every year to gain extra money during Ramadan,’ said Jasim Uddin, a college teacher who was shopping at the Mohammadpur Krishi Market on Friday.
He said that it was a common scenario during Ramadan that the government would give assurance of a stable commodity market while some traders would increase the prices of certain items at their whim.
Traders, however, claimed that there was no manipulation at the market.
‘It is true that the prices of aubergine and green chilli increased abnormally on the retail markets but it happened not for any manipulation by traders but for an increased demand for the items due to Ramadan,’ said Emran Mastar, president of Bangladesh Kanchamaal Arot Malik Samiti.
Traders have no scope for stocking aubergine and green chilli as the items are perishable, he said adding that the supply of the items also decreased a bit as rain damaged a number of farms across the country.
The prices of onion, garlic, gram, cucumber and tomato witnessed further rise in the city’s kitchen markets on the first day of Ramadan.
The price of onion increased by Tk 5 a kg and the item was being sold at Tk 50 a kg while the imported oinion was retailing at Tk 40-Tk 45 a kg on Friday.
Garlic price increased by Tk 5 a kg and the item was retailing at Tk 100-Tk 120 a kg on Friday while the local garlic was selling at Tk 70-Tk 80 a kg on the day.
The price of gram increased by Tk 5 a kg and it was selling at Tk 65-Tk 70 a kg at different markets in the capital.
The prices of cucumber and tomato increased by Tk 20 a kg and the items were retailing at Tk 50-Tk 70 a kg and Tk 50-Tk 60 a kg respectively on Friday.
Beef was selling at Tk 370-Tk 380 a kg in the city’s kitchen markets while mutton was selling Tk 500-Tk 550 a kg.
Broiler was selling at Tk 165-Tk 170 a kg while locally-bred hens were selling at Tk 260-Tk 320 a piece weighing from 800 grams to one kg.
The price of red lentil remained high.
The fine variety of the item was selling at Tk 115-Tk 125 a kg while the local variety was selling at Tk 130 a kg.
The red lentil imported from Turkey and Canada was selling at Tk 100 a kg over the week.
The prices of some vegetables remained stable.
Bitter gourd was selling at Tk 40 a kg, okra at Tk 35 a kg, carrot at Tk 50 a kg, ribbed gourd at Tk 35-Tk 40 a kg, string bean at Tk 40-Tk 50 a kg and papaya at Tk 30 a kg on the day.
Potato was selling at Tk 18-Tk 22 a kg on Friday.
The price of egg remained high and the item was selling at Tk 32 a hali (four pieces) on Friday.
The prices of fish remained unchanged. Rohita was selling at Tk 200-Tk 300 a kg, katla at Tk 200-Tk 280 a kg, pangas at Tk 120-Tk 170 a kg and tilapia at Tk 110-Tk 180 a kg, depending on their size and quality.
The price of bottled soya bean oil remained unchanged. A one-litre container of soya bean oil was selling at Tk 100 while a five-litre container was selling at Tk 470-Tk 490 in the city’s markets on Friday.
Unpacked soya bean oil was retailing at Tk 90-Tk 95 a litre while refined palm oil was selling at Tk 74-Tk 76 a litre.
Rice prices remained unchanged over the week.
The fine variety of BR-28 rice was selling at Tk 42-Tk 46 a kg and the coarse variety was selling at Tk 40-Tk 42 a kg on Friday.
The fine variety of miniket rice was selling at Tk 48-Tk 50 a kg while the coarse variety was retailing at Tk 47-Tk 48 a kg. The coarse variety of rice was retailing at Tk 30-Tk 32 a kg over the week.
The puffed rice was selling at Tk 60-Tk 65 a kg while the hand-made puffed
rice was retailing at Tk 120 a kg.
Gur was selling at between Tk 100 and Tk 150 a kg, and flaked rice at between Tk 60 and Tk 70 a kg.
Dates were retailing at the ranges between Tk 130 and Tk 500 a kg, depending on their quality.
The price of sugar remained unchanged and the item was selling at Tk 42-Tk 45 a kg on Friday.
Aubergine price increased by 130 per cent to Tk 100-Tk 110 a kilogram in the week ending Friday from Tk 40-Tk 45 a kg in the previous week.
The price of green chilli rose by 100 per cent to Tk 60 a kg from Tk 30-Tk 35 a kg.
Consumers said the abnormal hike in the prices of aubergine and green chilli were nothing but the market manipulation by a quarter of dishonest traders.
‘More than 100 per cent increase in the prices of aubergine and green chilli within three days is not acceptable. It is nothing but the practice of some businesspeople who take consumers hostages every year to gain extra money during Ramadan,’ said Jasim Uddin, a college teacher who was shopping at the Mohammadpur Krishi Market on Friday.
He said that it was a common scenario during Ramadan that the government would give assurance of a stable commodity market while some traders would increase the prices of certain items at their whim.
Traders, however, claimed that there was no manipulation at the market.
‘It is true that the prices of aubergine and green chilli increased abnormally on the retail markets but it happened not for any manipulation by traders but for an increased demand for the items due to Ramadan,’ said Emran Mastar, president of Bangladesh Kanchamaal Arot Malik Samiti.
Traders have no scope for stocking aubergine and green chilli as the items are perishable, he said adding that the supply of the items also decreased a bit as rain damaged a number of farms across the country.
The prices of onion, garlic, gram, cucumber and tomato witnessed further rise in the city’s kitchen markets on the first day of Ramadan.
The price of onion increased by Tk 5 a kg and the item was being sold at Tk 50 a kg while the imported oinion was retailing at Tk 40-Tk 45 a kg on Friday.
Garlic price increased by Tk 5 a kg and the item was retailing at Tk 100-Tk 120 a kg on Friday while the local garlic was selling at Tk 70-Tk 80 a kg on the day.
The price of gram increased by Tk 5 a kg and it was selling at Tk 65-Tk 70 a kg at different markets in the capital.
The prices of cucumber and tomato increased by Tk 20 a kg and the items were retailing at Tk 50-Tk 70 a kg and Tk 50-Tk 60 a kg respectively on Friday.
Beef was selling at Tk 370-Tk 380 a kg in the city’s kitchen markets while mutton was selling Tk 500-Tk 550 a kg.
Broiler was selling at Tk 165-Tk 170 a kg while locally-bred hens were selling at Tk 260-Tk 320 a piece weighing from 800 grams to one kg.
The price of red lentil remained high.
The fine variety of the item was selling at Tk 115-Tk 125 a kg while the local variety was selling at Tk 130 a kg.
The red lentil imported from Turkey and Canada was selling at Tk 100 a kg over the week.
The prices of some vegetables remained stable.
Bitter gourd was selling at Tk 40 a kg, okra at Tk 35 a kg, carrot at Tk 50 a kg, ribbed gourd at Tk 35-Tk 40 a kg, string bean at Tk 40-Tk 50 a kg and papaya at Tk 30 a kg on the day.
Potato was selling at Tk 18-Tk 22 a kg on Friday.
The price of egg remained high and the item was selling at Tk 32 a hali (four pieces) on Friday.
The prices of fish remained unchanged. Rohita was selling at Tk 200-Tk 300 a kg, katla at Tk 200-Tk 280 a kg, pangas at Tk 120-Tk 170 a kg and tilapia at Tk 110-Tk 180 a kg, depending on their size and quality.
The price of bottled soya bean oil remained unchanged. A one-litre container of soya bean oil was selling at Tk 100 while a five-litre container was selling at Tk 470-Tk 490 in the city’s markets on Friday.
Unpacked soya bean oil was retailing at Tk 90-Tk 95 a litre while refined palm oil was selling at Tk 74-Tk 76 a litre.
Rice prices remained unchanged over the week.
The fine variety of BR-28 rice was selling at Tk 42-Tk 46 a kg and the coarse variety was selling at Tk 40-Tk 42 a kg on Friday.
The fine variety of miniket rice was selling at Tk 48-Tk 50 a kg while the coarse variety was retailing at Tk 47-Tk 48 a kg. The coarse variety of rice was retailing at Tk 30-Tk 32 a kg over the week.
The puffed rice was selling at Tk 60-Tk 65 a kg while the hand-made puffed
rice was retailing at Tk 120 a kg.
Gur was selling at between Tk 100 and Tk 150 a kg, and flaked rice at between Tk 60 and Tk 70 a kg.
Dates were retailing at the ranges between Tk 130 and Tk 500 a kg, depending on their quality.
The price of sugar remained unchanged and the item was selling at Tk 42-Tk 45 a kg on Friday.
Source: New Age
