Rice price rises too
The prices of rice and onion went up on the retail market in the capital due to supply shortage as frequent blockades disrupted transportation across the country.
Traders said that the price of rice increased by Tk 1-Tk 2 a kg while the prices of onion touched a record high to Tk 140 a kg in the market on Sunday.
The price of coarse variety of rice increased by Tk 2 a kg and was selling at Tk 37 a kg on the day.
The prices of fine varieties of BR-28 and miniket increased by Tk 1 a kg and was selling at Tk 43-Tk 45 a kg and Tk 48-Tk 52 a kg respectively on Sunday.
Zakir Hossain a retailer at Karwan Bazar, told New Age that the supply of rice from the northern districts remained suspended for last couple of weeks and wholesalers were meeting the demand of capital through their previous stock.
The stock of rice in the capital has been decreasing day by day and so some wholesalers increased the price of the item by Tk 1 a kg in last two days, he said.
Zakir also said that the mill owners and suppliers were not increasing the price of rice but they were not willing to transport the item for fear of vandalism and arson.
Salim Uddin, a wholesaler at Babubazar, said that the wholesale prices of rice were yet to increase but some retailers were charging extra money in the name of supply shortage.
‘But it is true the prices of rice would increase within very short time if the political violence and blockades continue as truck owners almost suspended their operation in fear of arson,’ he said.
The prices of onion on Sunday shot up to Tk 140 a kg, a record high in the city’s kitchen markets.
The price of the item increased by Tk 20 a kg in a day.
The local onion was being sold at Tk 130-Tk 140 a kg at Hatirpool kitchen market on the day while the imported onion was retailing at Tk 120 a kg.
At Rampura kitchen market the item was being sold at Tk 130 a kg and imported item was selling at Tk 110-Tk 120 a kg on Sunday.
Naryan Chandra Saha, an importer of onion, said that due to continuous blockade a huge quantity of onion got stuck in different land ports.
Truck owners were not ready to carry the item in the volatile situation as many of the vehicles have already been torched opposition activists on the highways, he said.
Although a few truckers agreed to carry the item but they were charging fare 10 times high, Naryan added.
‘Recently, we were forced to carry a small quantity of onion from Hili land port paying Tk 1.2 lakh as truck fare whereas the real fare was Tk 12,000,’ he said, adding that the high transportation cost also impacts on the prices of onion.
-With New Age input
