Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj :
A non -government school teacher Atikur Rahman lives with a family of five members in a small two-room of a half-building in Kishoreganj town. His Monthly salary is Tk.14000, and rent is Tk.6500.. He is the only earning member in the family. The family is somehow running on his income. In this situation, how will the family survive against the way the prices of all daily commodities including rice, pulses and oil are increasing from time to time? Such is the situation of low income people like Atikur Rahman now. In the meantime, Ramzan is starting this week
Low and middle income people are struggling to make ends’ meet due to abnormal rise in prices of essentials.Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has increased the scale of its commodity sales ahead of holy Ramzan.
A search of Bara Bazar, Kachari Bazar Gouranga Bazar and Puranthana Bazar on Monday revealed that the price of open soybean oil has risen by Tk 5 per liter to Tk 125-130. However, the Ministry of Commerce has fixed the retail market price of soybean oil at Tk 116 per liter after meeting with traders. Along with open soybean, the price of bottled soybean oil has also gone up. The price of five-liter bottled soybean oil is being increased by Tk 10 to Tk 630 to 750. And one liter bottled soybean is being sold at tk. 135 to 140.
Palm oil is being sold at Rs 108 to Rs 110 per liter. And palm super oil is being sold at tk.110 to 112.
Meanwhile, after another month, boro cutting will start in full swing. But before that, the price of rice has gone up in the market. Even a week ago, coarse rice eri / gold could be found in the retail market at tk. 48 to 48. But now it is being sold at tk. 48 to 52 per kg with an increase of Rs two to four. The price of fine rice has also gone up. Nazirshail / Miniket is now being sold at tk. 60 to 65 per kg with an increase of tk. 2 per kg. And medium quality rice pajamas / creepers are being sold at 52 to 60 rupees. Even four days ago,
Meanwhile, the price of medium grain lentil pulses is increasing by five taka per kg and is being sold at 80 to 90 taka.. And small grains of lentils are being sold at 110 taka per kg..
Onion prices were stable in the market for many days due to the rise of new season onions. But now the price of this product has also gone up on the occasion of Ramzan. At intervals of three to four days, the price has gone up by Tk 7 per kg. At present, domestic onions are being sold at Tk 36 to 40 per kg..
Besides, prices of sugar, flour and anchor pulses have gone up in the last two weeks. The price of sugar has been increased by three taka per kg and is being sold at tk. 70. The price of open flour has been increased by two rupees per kg and is being sold at 35 to 36 rupees. Packets of flour are being sold at tk.40 to 45 .
Meanwhile, low-income people are in trouble due to uncontrolled increase in prices of daily necessities. Especially the working people who lost their jobs due to corona.
Deputy Commissioner ( DC) in Kishoreganj Mohamad Shamim Alam on Sunday called upon businesses to stabilise the prices of essential commodities ahead of holy Ramzan as people’s incomes have been hit hard by Covid-19 in the country.DC addresses on law and order situation and keeping prices of essentials stable in the upcoming Ramzan.
He urged all to maintain health advisories and instructions from the government.
SP Mashrukur Rahman Khaled BPM (Bar) said that We want the help of businessmen to keep the prices stable.Law enforcement agencies are now largely capable and expert so you are requested to take their help any time.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) in Kishoreganj President Alarm Sarowar Tito said that the daily commodity market is unstable every year due to lack of kitchen market monitoring.There is also blame game between large and small businessmen
CAB urged for a coordinated market monitoring system and also called upon the businessmen to accept lower profit margin in the pandemic crisis.
In response to a question, CAB said TCB is selling some daily necessities at low prices. The working people are benefiting at least a little. But the middle class is not able to stand in the line of TCB. So I don’t see the government’s option of strictly monitoring the market to control commodity prices.
