Staff Reporter :
Consumers have vented their dissatisfaction as the retailers had attached the new price tag on the Soybean oil which was imported before the announcement effective from May 6.
Amid the price hike and crisis of edible oil, Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection conducted drive across the country and recovered huge stash of edible oil.
After the drive, one thousand litres of Soybean oil was recovered from shop of Khawja Store in Chattogram and 3600 litres from a warehouse of New Bengal Traders in Natore town.
Meanwhile, visiting a number of kitchen markets in the capital like Karwan Bazar, New Market, Mohammadpur Town Hall and Hatirpul, it was found that one litre of
bottled Soybean oil is being sold at a price of Tk 198 but the price tag on the bottle reads Tk 160.
Sources said the edible oil which was stocked earlier was kept in secret places before the announcement of the price hike and now the oil is entering into the market to be sold at the new price.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry is going to hold a press conference at the Secretariat at 11am on Monday to clarify the reasons behind the surge of Soybean oil price.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munishi will talk to the media about the causes of price hike of edible oil and other related issues about the management of edible oil, Commerce Ministry sources said.
Earlier, on Friday Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader held the Ukraine war responsible for the spike of Soybean oil price.
The consumers suffered the worst for not getting the Soybean oil in the market just a few days before the Eid-ul-Fitr.
But when the announcement of the new price came from the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association on Thursday following a meeting with the Commerce Secretary, the Soybean oil began to crawl into the markets and shops.
Soon after the announcement effective from May 6, the sellers started selling the edible oil at a new price but the price tag on the bottle is old.
Oil company sources said, they have started supplying the bottled, loose and palm oil in the market with the label of new price tag.
They said, the supply will take some more days to reach out to the retail markets with new price tag.
Though the government has fixed the price of loose Soybean oil at Tk 180 but it is being sold at Tk 190 to Tk 200 in some areas.
Wahiduzzaman of Zaman Traders in New Market said, they are selling at high price because they bought at higher price.
A consumer Mizanur Rahman at Hatirpul said, “I bought one litre Soybean oil at Tk 200 but the tag reads Tk 160.”
Meanwhile, a total of 3.63 crore litres crude Soybean oil and palm oil have arrived at the Chattogram port so far. The companies will collect the oil and refine it in their own factories before supplying to the market.
After the announcement, the new price of per litre of bottled Soybean oil is Tk 198 and the five litres of bottled Soybean oil is Tk 985. Besides, the price of loose Soybean oil is Tk 180 and Palm oil is Tk 172.
