Sylhet Bureau :
The prices of most vegetables have doubled on the Sylhets kitchen market compared to a week ago due to supply crunch, according to consumers.
At several kitchen markets in the city on Sunday, each kg broiler chicken was selling at Tk 155-160 which was Tk 130-135 a week ago. It was sold for Tk 120-130 last month.
Besides, the prices of different daily essential commodities including soybean and palm oil, chicken, flour and sugar keep on soaring on Sylhets kitchen market ahead of the month of Ramadan. The consumers urged the government to take proper steps to control the prices on the kitchen markets in the holy month of Ramadan amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Shorif Ahmed, a resident of Dakshin Surma said he has to purchase most vegetables at double the prices compared to a week ago. Today I bought a kg of aubergine and cucumber at Tk 45 which was Tk 30 respectively in the last week. Besides, I purchased a kg broiler at Tk 160 which was Tk 135 a week ago, he also shared.
A hali of lemon (four pieces) was selling at Tk 40-60, each kg arum at Tk 40-50, bitter gourd at Tk 50-60, papaya at Tk 40, bean at Tk 40-60 and yardlong bean at Tk 50, ladys finger at Tk 60, calabash at Tk 40-50, and patal (pointed gourd) at Tk 50-60 in capital.
Meanwhile, a kg potato was sold at Tk 20-25, green chili at Tk 30 and onion at Tk 40-50 on the retail market.
He added the government should take proper steps to control the prices in the kitchen markets at the eariest otherwise the market will go out of control of the government during the month of Ramadan amid the COVID-19 crisis too.
Unscrupulous traders always try to take extra profit creating a crisis. So, the government should monitor the market properly and increase stocks by import the item before shortage occurs. Otherwise general people have to suffer, he also added.
Abdul Kayum, chicken trader of Bharthokhola Masjid market, said the price of broiler increased immensely in the last several weeks. Today, we are selling each kg broiler at Tk 155-160 as we have to purchase it at high prices from the wholesale market. In the last five days, the price increased by Tk 20. The price was Tk 120-130 several weeks ago,Õ he added. He added sales also increased ahead of Shab-e-Barat to be celebrated on the night of March 29 amid supply crunch.
Monir Miah, a shopkeeper of Station Road of the city, told that increasing the prices of daily essentials before the month of Ramadan was normal. The prices of particular goods go up in the month for increased demand. If supply is available then the prices will come down, he added.
Ramjan Ali, vegetable trader of Bondar Bazar, said many essentials prices are soaring for the same reason.
According to the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh data, the prices of broiler chicken increased 1.61 per cent compared to a week while a five-litre bottled soybean jumped 2.44 per cent in this time.
Ruhel Ahmed, a consumer of Station Road area, said the prices of rice, oil and meat were very high now on retail markets in Sylhet. We are under pressure for the increasing prices of commodities. Our overall expenditure including house rent increased vastly but income did not increase. The government should monitor the kitchen market properly so that unscrupulous traders cant raise the prices in Ramadan amid the economic crisis situation posed by the pandemic, he said.
