The prices of essential commodities including vegetables soared up in the city due to ongoing hartal, reports BSS. Hartal disrupted the supply chain throughout Khulna region. The transport owners are refusing to run vehicles fearing arson and vandalism by picketers.
Prices of almost all vegetables soared by Tk 10 to Tk 15 per kilogram.
The price of cooking oil, flour, sugar, salt and spices shot up as supply, mainly from Dhaka, came to a halt. The supply of other essential commodities also remained disrupted for the second day, creating a scope for traders and retailers in the city and suburbs to charge extra.
While visiting city’s kitchen markets today and yesterday this correspondent found that prices of seasonal vegetables in Khulna such as beans shot up by Tk 20, to stand at Tk 70 a kg.
The prices of bitter gourd became Tk 40 a kg, rising by Tk 10. Eggplants also rose by Tk 8 to stand at Tk 48 a kg, radishes became Tk 40 from Tk 30.
Shamsul Alam, a vegetable vendor of city’s Dolkhola kitchen market told BSS this morning that prices of cucumbers, cauliflowers, cabbages, potatoes and green chilies also shot up by Tk 15- 20 due to scanty supplies.
The vegetable retailer also said, he in turn had to buy vegetables at high prices from the wholesalers at Sonadanga area, the biggest wholesale vegetables market in the city.
However, excuse of a low supply was not true for all the wholesalers. Many traders and retailers hoarded huge quantity of vegetables to make higher profit during hartal.
Golam Mostofa Jhantu, a retailer of city’s Gallamary area, told BSS that he bought cauliflowers Saturday morning and sold at Tk 40, a kg today, which is Tk 30 more than the amount he sold at the day before.
The price of another seasonal vegetable, cabbage also went up to Tk 40, a kg today, up from TK 25 on Saturday.
“Many customers were so annoyed at the high prices that they went back with a few buying, said Alo Miah, a vegetable retailer of city’s evening kitchen market at Sher-e-Bangla road area.
Alam Howlader, a fish retailer in the same market, said he offered reduced price to attract more customers, but sales are still low. He said, the supply disruption created price spiral. “My daily sales figure has been cut by half due to hartal,” said Alam Howlader of evening kitchen market.
A similar picture of low turnout of customers and higher prices of the essential commodities was also seen this morning at kitchen markets in Borobazar, Natunbazar and KDA New Market.
Nazrul Islam, president of Sonadanga wholesale vegetable market, admitted that vegetable prices have gone up due to hartals.
He also agreed that a section of traders hoarded some essentials including vegetables before hartal with the intention to sell them at higher prices.
Contacted, Abdul Gaffar Biswas, president of Khulna Divisional Truck Owners Association told BSS that fearing arson and vandalism transporters refused to run trucks on the roads.
President of Khulna Motor Workers Union Zakir Hossain Biplob, also shared the same experience.
-With The News Today input
