The ‘government-sponsored blockade’ hit the kitchen markets in the city and pushed up the prices of vegetables due to supply shortage as transportation remained suspended across the country for last four days. Traders said that they had completely failed to carry any goods including vegetables from southern or northern areas of country as transport stayed off the roads as per the government instruction to counter the BNP-led opposition’s scheduled ‘March for Democracy programme.
The prices of most of the vegetables increased by Tk 5-Tk 20 a kg on Monday in the city’s kitchen markets.
Bean was retailing at Tk 30 a kg, cauliflower at Tk 25 a piece, cabbage at Tk 25 a piece, aubergine at Tk 40-Tk 50 a kg, okra at Tk 50 a kg, bitter gourd at Tk 40 a kg, cucumber at Tk 40 a kg and tomato at Tk 60 a kg.
Whereas on Sunday, bean was being sold at Tk 20 a kg, cauliflower at Tk 20 a piece, cabbage at Tk 20 a piece, aubergine at Tk 25-Tk 30 a kg, okra at Tk 40 a kg, bitter gourd at Tk 30 a kg, cucumber at Tk 30 a kg and tomato at Tk 50 a kg.
The price of local onion increased by Tk 20 a kg and was selling at Tk 70-Tk 80 a kg while the imported onion was retailing at Tk 40 a kg on Monday.
Bangladesh Kanchamal Arrot Malik Samiti president Md Emran Master told New Age that after several rounds of blockade the prices of vegetables had started to come down last week but the sudden suspension of transportation by the government interrupted the supply chain.
In the last round of blockade enforced by the opposition, traders felt a relaxed situation on the highways but during the ‘government sponsored blockade’ transportation completely stopped on the highways in last three days, he said.
-With New Age input
