Anisul Islam Noor :The price of dates and a good number of essential items have marked a rise at the retail level despite traders’ assurance there will be no price hike ahead of RamzanThe price of dates, chickpea, lentil, onion, garlic, ginger and spices, which are largely consumed during the month, have increased by Tk five to Tk 10 per kg.Brinjal was selling at Tk 60 to 80 per kg and cucumber at Tk 60 on Thursday, as witnessed at Kawranbazar marketMost of vegetables were selling for Tk 40 on Thursday. Potato and parbal were, however, selling at Tk20 and Tk 30 respectively. At Malibagh, Shantinagar and Rampura kitchen markets, chickpeas of varying kinds are selling at Tk 62 toTk 67 per kg, lentils at Tk 85 to Tk 120, sugar at Tk 40 toTk 45 and edible oil at Tk 95 to Tk 100 per litre. Onion price has increased by Tk 5 to Tk 10 in 15 days. Now it is selling at Tk 48 to Tk 55 (local) and Tk 43 to Tk 45 (Indian). Garlic is selling at Tk 110 per kg (local) against Tk 100 in less than two weeks ago. Ginger price was selling at Tk 148 to Tk 150 per kg, hiked by Tk eight to Tk 10.. There has been a noticeable rise in the price of beef and red meat. Red meat is selling at Tk 500 to Tk 550 per kg and beef at Tk 370 to Tk 390. Malibagh Bazar’s meat trader Wahab said, “In Ramzan, the demand for beef will increase alarmingly within a few days. We have nothing to do. There will be no relief of price unless Indian cows arrive in Bangladesh.” Jahangir Mridha, a fish retailer in Shantinagar kitchen market, said, fish price has also increased by Tk 15 to Tk 50 per kg on average. No fish except Telapia, Pangash and Koi is selling below Tk 200. Telapia is selling at Tk 145 to Tk 165 per kg, Ruhi at Tk 250 to Tk 350, Katla at 300 to Tk 450 and Pangsha at Tk 160 to Tk 180. Meanwhile, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has started selling edible oil, pulse, sugar, chickpea and date in open markets from June 4 to ensure smooth supply of essentials during Ramzan. The TCB is selling soybean oil at Tk 89 per litre, sugar at Tk 37 per kg, lentil at Tk 103, chickpea at Tk 53 and date at Tk 80. More than 174 trucks are selling the essentials across the country, 25 of them in Dhaka city.
