Reza Mahmud :
Traders are hiking prices of edible oil, sugar and onion constantly which has made the people to suffer untold suffering.
The soybean oil has reached Tk 155 per liter, while sugar caught Tk 85 per kg and onion prices grew to Tk 70 per kilo now.
Price hiking of these most essential items has perplexed the lower income group of people, while the retail traders, the whole sellers and the mill owners are making extra profits. Meanwhile, the price fixed by the government remained ignored.
On September 5, the ministry of commerce fixed Tk 129 per litre as price for the soybean oil and on September 9, it fixed Tk 74-75 as sugar prices.
But now, the traders are selling soybean oil at Tk 26 higher than the government fixed price and at Tk 10 higher in cases of per kg sugar. It has been found in different areas in the capital including Jurain, Gandaria, Motijheel, Rampura and adjacent places.
In old Dhaka’s Gandaria, Jasim Uddin, a retailer trader, told The New Nation, “The prices of soybean oil are increasing almost every day. I have bought two liter bottles of the edible oil at Tk 286 two days ago, but today the whole seller charged Tk 300 per two liter bottle.” He was selling Tk 310 per two liter bottle of soybean oil now.
Talking to journalists, the retailers are blaming whole sellers for increasing prices of those essential items, while the whole sellers have given all liabilities to the mill owners.
On the other hand, the mill owners are giving blame to the other traders saying they are not selling the items as per the government determined prices. The people remarked it as a blame game which is keeping the main hand behind the scene.
Meanwhile, the locally produced onion price stood at Tk 45 per kg for months, but traders increased the price irrationally by Tk 15-25 and selling at Tk 60 to Tk70 per kg.
People in different markets expressed their sorrow and agony to the journalists saying the price hiking of the most essential products has made them worried.
“I am working a privately at a private office in Motijheel. My wages are fixed. I have no way to earn more than my salary. But the costs of daily essentials like edible oil and sugar are increasing every day. It is not only painful but also unbearable,” said Ashikur Rahman, from Jurain kitchen market.
He said, edible oil is inevitable items, while sugar is urgent at every house having a baby in particular. With firm determination, , a consumer said, we find no shortage of supply, meaning production is unstoppable. So, there can be no valid reason behind price hike.
