Staff Reporter (Kishoreganj) :
The prices of essential commodities like rice, sugar, eggs, broiler chicken, and flour have gone up in Kishoreganj’s kitchen markets following the last week fuel oil price hike, mounting more pressure on the already stressed consumers with limited income.
According to rice mill owners and wholesale traders said they are not able to produce more rice due to recurrent load shedding. Hence, the wholesalers are not able to meet demand amid dwindling production.
Meanwhile, the millers have increased the prices of different rice varieties by Tk150 to 200 per 50kg sack citing increased production cost which has affected in the kitchen markets.
Kali Das , a rice wholesaler in Bazar Bazar, told The New Nation, “Prices of rice have increased at mill gates due to various reasons including production difficulties. We are also forced to hike prices due to additional transportation costs.”
A 50kg sack of BR-28 rice variety is now selling for Tk2800 (Tk54 per kg) in Kishoreganj ‘s Bara Bazar wholesale market, which was Tk2,450-2,500 last week. The price will rise further at the retail level.
Md.Shabuddin , a retailer said, the best quality Nazirshail and Pijam variety rice was selling for Tk75 per kg wholesale, while the retail price is Tk80 to 82The prices of various coarse rice are selling for Tk53, up by Tk 4 to 5.
Sajjad Miah who came to buy rice in Bara Bazar, said, “It is difficult to get Miniket variety rice below Tk70. I gave up and started eating cheap rice. Today, I bought BR-28 variety, but that too got costlier.”
Apart from rice, the price of broiler chicken has increased from Tk155-160 to Tk175 per kg in Kishoreganj markets. A dozen of eggs are selling for Tk138 to 140 per dozen,
Dipu , a Bank employee said, The cost of living has increased to such an extent I am really struggling with the pressure of expenses.”
The price of flour has also increased. In the wholesale market, the price rose by Tk200 to Tk 2, 180 per sack of flour. The effect of which has not yet hit the retail market, but within two days, the retail price will go up as well, the traders said.
Meanwhile, in Khatunganj – the largest wholesale market in Chattogram, the prices of almost all commodity items have increased by Tk200-300 per maund (37.2 kg) in the last two days.
According to traders, importers have hiked the prices of all products in the market right after the announcement of the fuel oil price hike.
Similarly, the price of soybean oil has also increased by Tk200 and selling for Tk7,000 per maund.
The prices of wheat and sugar have increased by Tk120 per maund (37.32 kg). At present, the average Indian wheat is being sold at Tk1,620 in the market, up from Tk1,500 at the end of last week.
On Thursday, sugar was selling for Tk2,860 per maund in Kishoreganj, Bhairab markets, which was Tk 3050 on Thursday.
Kamrul Hasan , a consumer goods trader and owner of Hajee Akkas & Son in Kisgoregnj said, “The prices of consumer goods have been falling in the domestic market for the last one-and-a-half months due to the record price drop in the world market. At the wholesale level, the price of palm oil has come down from Tk7,000 to Tk4,500 per maund. But the massive price hike of fuel oil has made the consumer goods market volatile again.”
Prices are falling in the global market
Consumer Association of Bangladesh –,CAB in Kishoreganj said, the government is trying to reduce energy costs through controlled load shedding, i,e to be cost effective. It cannot be called good. Meanwhile, the price of fuel increased. Now the suffering will be more extreme. It will affect everything. The life of the common man will become more prosperous.
