Staff Reporter:Living cost rose by 6.5 per cent in 2019 in Dhaka because of hike in commodity prices like rice, vegetables, onion and other spices, said Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).
It also said that the prices of utility services also hiked in the past year.
The report also mentioned that the living cost in the capital rose by six per cent in 2018.
CAB President Ghulam Rahman unveiled a report on the cost of living and other consumer issues at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Tuesday.
“The price of onion was the much-talked-about kitchen items in the year,” said Ghulam Rahman.
He said also that the locally grown onion price increased by 49.52 per cent and price of imported one rose by 71.11 per cent on average in the previous year.
The CAB President said that vegetable prices increased by 8.13 per cent in the last year. Besides, prices of other spices items also saw a remarkable hike in 2019, he said.
CAB President, however, said that their report did not depict the full picture because lack of data was a reality.
The report monitored changes in prices of 114 food items and 22 essentials in 15 markets of the capital. It also reviewed costs of 14 service sectors.
The price of onion increased highest in 2019. Onion was sold at Tk 25 per kg at the beginning of the year and then sprang to Tk 250 in November, said the report.
The price came down to Tk 100 in December before soaring again at the beginning of 2020.
He said, “We are concerned over the overall trend of increasing food price at the beginning of the year.”
The report also mentioned that the rate of unemployment among educated people increased by 34.3 per cent last year.
Ghulam Rahman said, “Unemployment is growing day by day, but thousand of foreign workers are working in Bangladesh,” he added.
