The prices of kitchen items including vegetables and fish rose further in the city’s markets on Saturday, just one day before the start of Ramadan, the fasting month for Muslims.
The prices of aubergine, green chilli, tomato, carrot, cucumber, garlic and ginger increased further and retailers and wholesalers blamed each others for the price hike.
The prices of aubergine and green chilli increased by Tk 10 a kilogram. Aubergine was selling at Tk 100-Tk 110 a kg and green chilli at Tk 100 a kg on Saturday.
The prices of tomato, carrot, cucumber, garlic and ginger increased by Tk 20-Tk 30 a kg. Tomato was selling at Tk 80 a kg, carrot at Tk 65 a kg, cucumber at Tk 50 a kg, garlic at Tk 95 a kg and ginger at Tk 250 a kg at Shantinagar and Malibagh kitchen markets on Saturday.
‘It is a common practice of the retailers to charge extra money on some particular vegetables during Ramadan,’ Bangladesh Kanchamall Arot Malik Samiti president Md Emran Master told New Age on Saturday.
He said that the prices of aubergine and green chilli increased a bit in the supply level as the heavy rainfall damaged vegetables fields but retailers increased the prices of the items by Tk 30-Tk 40 a kg.
Emran also said that the supply of vegetables came down in the market during the rainy season but it was really unacceptable to double the prices of some vegetables within two days.
Jamal Hossin, a trader at Malibagh kitchen market, said that they had no scope to manipulate the vegetable market as the prices of the items increased at the supply side.
‘We gain Tk 10 a kg highest,’ he added.
Ashikul Isalm, a service holder, said that Bangladesh was the only country in the world where common people became sufferers in any occasion.
‘In every Ramadan, traders are the players, government is the silent spectator and common people are the sufferers,’ he said.
The prices of fish increased by Tk 20-Tk 30 a kg on Saturday.
Rohita was selling at Tk 280-Tk 350 a kg, katla at Tk 250-Tk 350 a kg, pangas at Tk 150-Tk 200 a kg and tilapia at Tk 150-Tk 160 a kg, depending on their size and quality.
The prices of beef and broiler remained unchanged and beef was selling at Tk 280-Tk 290 a kg and broiler at Tk 150-Tk 160 a kg in the city.
Mutton price remained unchanged and it was selling at Tk 450 a kg.
Both unpacked soya bean and super palm oil prices remained unchanged and the commodities were retailing at Tk 112 a kg and Tk 90 a kg respectively.
The price of bottled soya bean oil (five litres) remained unchanged and it was selling at Tk 540 to Tk 565 in the city’s kitchen markets.
The prices of onions and potatoes increased. Onions were selling at Tk 40 a kg and potatoes at Tk 25 a kg on Saturday.
Red lentil imported from Turkey and Canada was selling at Tk 85-Tk 90 a kg over the week.
The price of fine variety of red lentil was selling at Tk 130 a kg while the local variety of red lentil was selling at Tk 115 a kg.
Egg price remained unchanged and the item was selling at Tk 28-Tk 30 a hali (four pieces) in the city.
The price of gram remained unchanged and it was selling at Tk 60-Tk 65 a kg on different markets in the capital.
Puffed rice was selling at Tk 60-Tk 65 a kg while the hand-made one was retailing at Tk 120 a kg.
Gur was selling at between Tk 100 and Tk 200 a kg and flaked rice at between Tk 60 and Tk 70 a kg.
The dates were retailing at the ranges between Tk 130 and Tk 550 a kg.
Sugar was selling at Tk 48-Tk 52 a kg on Saturday.
Rice prices remained stable.
The fine varieties of miniket were selling at Tk 48-Tk 50 a kg while the coarse varieties were retailing at Tk 44-Tk 46 a kg.
The fine varieties of BR-28 were selling at Tk 42-Tk 44 a kg and the coarse varieties of parija were selling at Tk 38-Tk 40 a kg.
-With New Age input