Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Prices of essential commodities are soaring despite the assurance to control the country’s markets.
Consumers of the fixed income are hard put, as the price of commodities has recently increased.
Specially the price hike of onions, eggs, rice and vegetables are blamed for sufferings to the low and middle income people
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) claimed that prices of onion, lentil, chickpea, sugar, ginger and garlic rose by Tk 10 to 15 per kilogram in last two weeks.
People have rejected the TCB clam saying that it has created a mockery over the commodities’ prices in the present market.
In the latest, onion price at the retail markets in Bangladesh went up by around 71 per cent per kg within a day, the highest level in last several years, as the wholesalers reportedly jacked up the price following India’s ban on the ingredient export.
Onion price at the kitchen markets in Dhaka rose to Tk 110 to Tk 120 a kilogramme on Monday, which is Tk 40 to Tk 50 up from on Sunday’s rate.
Visiting different kitchen markets in the capital, the New Nation Staff Reporter found a similar price rate at different retail markets.
Rabey Bashury, a private job holder, while purchasing onion from a retail shop at Mugda Kitchen Market on Tuesday, said, “Now, I have to buy one kg locally grown onion at Tk 115, which was Tk 70 a day back.”
“It is the highest level of price in the last several years,” she said.
“I earn Tk 450 a day, now it is impossible for me to maintain my family with due to price hike of essential commodities,” said one Rabiul, a rickshaw puller at Sabujbag, Dhaka.”
“I need at least three kilograms of rice a day for my family, if I buy the rice I can hardly manage other commodities with the rest of the money,” said another rickshaw-puller Hazrat Ali of Kawriapara village.
A retailer in Mohammadpur kitchen market, seeking anonymity, alleged that the wholesalers have jacked up the price in the wake of India’s ban on onion export.
Shafiqul Islam, a consumer who is also a postgraduate student of Dhaka University, said the skyrocketing price of this necessary ingredient went to an unbearable level for the middle-class consumers.
“The soaring of price in suddenly is unacceptable indeed,” he said. Meanwhile, egg price rose by Tk 19 from Tk 95 a dozen to Tk 114.
Cucumber, for example, sells for Tk 120 per kilogram, while tomatoes sell for Tk 140.
Rafiqul Haq, a vegetable trader in Lalbagh said, “We are now selling Brinjal at Tk 70 to Tk80 per kg, which was Tk 500 to Tk 60 last week.
Sumaiya, a resident of Maniknagar said: “Eggplants, cucumbers, green chillies, etc. have high demand. These always become more expensive during the rainy season.
Moreover, green chilli from Tk 80 to Tk 100, sugar from Tk 60 to Tk 65, and puffed rice from Tk 80 to Tk100 (Packaged from Tk 120 to Tk160) per kilogram at Mohammadpur kitchen market.
Echoing voices with the consumers, Golam Rahman, president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh, told the reporter that there is no logical ground behind increasing the onion price.
“As far as I know, it is the highest level of price,” he said adding that a group of dishonest wholesalers have hiked the onion price for making extra profit in the name of India’s ban.
He said that prices had increased due to a lack of surveillance by the authorities concerned.
