Staff Reporter :
The heavy rain in the capital and across the country till Friday morning took a toll on the road communications, brought traffic to a standstill in major highways affecting supply chain of the commodities throughout the country.
Prices of the essentials, including rice, edible oil, sugar and vegetables have shot up in the city’s kitchen market on the day due to disruption in supply chain,
Traders said, supply of vegetables from various districts across the country witnessed a dip in view of the rains over the past few days.
A large number of vehicles were seen stranded on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway due to a 40km tailbacks stretching from Putia in
Daudkandi upazila to Burirchang upazila of Comilla since the afternoon, reports our Comilla correspondent.
The tailback was the result of random movement of traffic after a heavy rainfall for the last three days, said Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi highway police.
Abul Kalam, the driver of a Dhaka-bound bus from Noakhali, told this correspondent that it took for him more than six hours to travel 40 kilometers from Kalkachu to Eliotganj in Comilla.
A long-tailback was also witnessed on Dhaka-Tangail highway yesterday due to bad shape of the highway resulted from incessant rain in the last few days, reports our Tangail correspondent.
Many potholes have been developed at the various points of the highway forcing the vehicles to ply slowly and resulted in traffic congestion. Besides, use of bricks to fill up potholes did not help much and posed risk of accidents.
Many goods laden trucks and passenger bus were seen stranded on the road for several hours, said an official of highway police.
While visiting different city markets on Friday, it was found that prices of brinjal, green chili, cucumber, tomato, lemon, ginger and other vegetables increased significantly from last week.
Traders said, prices of the vegetables went up by Tk 10 to Tk 20 per kilogram (kg) just in a week.
The prices of brinjal, a key vegetable for preparing Iftar item, shot up by 100 per cent to reach Tk 80 per kg on the day. Brinjal was sold at Tk 40 per kg two days ago.
Traders said, heavy rains for last few days damaged brinjal contributing to short supply of the item in the city markets and resulted in price spiral of the vegetable.
They predicted things would worsen in the coming days if the incessant rain continues.
On Friday, cucumber was being sold at Tk 40 per kg while last week it was only Tk 20. Lemon was being sold at Tk 25, Tk 35 and Tk 40 per four of different varieties. Potato price also shot up to Tk 24-25 per kg which was sold at Tk 19-20 per kg two days ago.
Although the government has taken the initiative of checking the price hikes of some vegetables and ensuring smooth supply of those during Ramadan, prices of the vegetable marked a significant rise in the city’s kitchen markets ahead of the Ramadan that will start Monday next.
The government on Wednesday imposed a ban on exports of five commodities, i.e. green chilli, eggplant, cucumber, coriander leaves and lemon.
The kitchen market traders in the city were selling essentials at higher prices than those fixed by Dhaka City Corporation ahead of Ramzan.
The prices of onion and garlic also marked a significant rise. Onion was sold at Tk 34-40 (local) and Tk 33-35 (imported) per kg in the city, while garlic was sold at Tk 75 (local) and Tk 80 (imported)
Local variety of onion was sold at Tk 35 to Tk 40 per kg and imported one at Tk 25 to Tk 30 against Tk 25 to Tk 30 and Tk 20 to Tk 25 respectively previously.
Meanwhile, the traders of the kitchen market are not following the direction of the government about the price rate. On June 19, the Commerce Ministry issued circular directing shop owners in the country’s kitchen market to hang price list of essentials and to deliver money receipts.
The circular warned of cancelling trade licence, confiscate products and punish those who fail to abide by the circular.
About the price of onion, an official of Commerce Ministry said that the price of onion might go up in the local market from Tk 35 per kilo as India has doubled its export price. He, however, said the government is trying to import onions from Turkey and Myanmar to keep a steady supply of onion in the market.
He said there is no reason for increasing price of potato of the other items, particularly the items of vegetables, as supply of the produce never depends on import and the country has a surplus production this year.
The heavy rain in the capital and across the country till Friday morning took a toll on the road communications, brought traffic to a standstill in major highways affecting supply chain of the commodities throughout the country.
Prices of the essentials, including rice, edible oil, sugar and vegetables have shot up in the city’s kitchen market on the day due to disruption in supply chain,
Traders said, supply of vegetables from various districts across the country witnessed a dip in view of the rains over the past few days.
A large number of vehicles were seen stranded on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway due to a 40km tailbacks stretching from Putia in
Daudkandi upazila to Burirchang upazila of Comilla since the afternoon, reports our Comilla correspondent.
The tailback was the result of random movement of traffic after a heavy rainfall for the last three days, said Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi highway police.
Abul Kalam, the driver of a Dhaka-bound bus from Noakhali, told this correspondent that it took for him more than six hours to travel 40 kilometers from Kalkachu to Eliotganj in Comilla.
A long-tailback was also witnessed on Dhaka-Tangail highway yesterday due to bad shape of the highway resulted from incessant rain in the last few days, reports our Tangail correspondent.
Many potholes have been developed at the various points of the highway forcing the vehicles to ply slowly and resulted in traffic congestion. Besides, use of bricks to fill up potholes did not help much and posed risk of accidents.
Many goods laden trucks and passenger bus were seen stranded on the road for several hours, said an official of highway police.
While visiting different city markets on Friday, it was found that prices of brinjal, green chili, cucumber, tomato, lemon, ginger and other vegetables increased significantly from last week.
Traders said, prices of the vegetables went up by Tk 10 to Tk 20 per kilogram (kg) just in a week.
The prices of brinjal, a key vegetable for preparing Iftar item, shot up by 100 per cent to reach Tk 80 per kg on the day. Brinjal was sold at Tk 40 per kg two days ago.
Traders said, heavy rains for last few days damaged brinjal contributing to short supply of the item in the city markets and resulted in price spiral of the vegetable.
They predicted things would worsen in the coming days if the incessant rain continues.
On Friday, cucumber was being sold at Tk 40 per kg while last week it was only Tk 20. Lemon was being sold at Tk 25, Tk 35 and Tk 40 per four of different varieties. Potato price also shot up to Tk 24-25 per kg which was sold at Tk 19-20 per kg two days ago.
Although the government has taken the initiative of checking the price hikes of some vegetables and ensuring smooth supply of those during Ramadan, prices of the vegetable marked a significant rise in the city’s kitchen markets ahead of the Ramadan that will start Monday next.
The government on Wednesday imposed a ban on exports of five commodities, i.e. green chilli, eggplant, cucumber, coriander leaves and lemon.
The kitchen market traders in the city were selling essentials at higher prices than those fixed by Dhaka City Corporation ahead of Ramzan.
The prices of onion and garlic also marked a significant rise. Onion was sold at Tk 34-40 (local) and Tk 33-35 (imported) per kg in the city, while garlic was sold at Tk 75 (local) and Tk 80 (imported)
Local variety of onion was sold at Tk 35 to Tk 40 per kg and imported one at Tk 25 to Tk 30 against Tk 25 to Tk 30 and Tk 20 to Tk 25 respectively previously.
Meanwhile, the traders of the kitchen market are not following the direction of the government about the price rate. On June 19, the Commerce Ministry issued circular directing shop owners in the country’s kitchen market to hang price list of essentials and to deliver money receipts.
The circular warned of cancelling trade licence, confiscate products and punish those who fail to abide by the circular.
About the price of onion, an official of Commerce Ministry said that the price of onion might go up in the local market from Tk 35 per kilo as India has doubled its export price. He, however, said the government is trying to import onions from Turkey and Myanmar to keep a steady supply of onion in the market.
He said there is no reason for increasing price of potato of the other items, particularly the items of vegetables, as supply of the produce never depends on import and the country has a surplus production this year.
