Sylhet Correspondent :
Prices of many essential commodities, including foodstuffs, vegetables and fruits, have shot up to a record level in the markets of Sylhet city in recent time sending chills up the commoners’ spine. Cashing in on the higher demand of the items during the current holy month of Ramzan, a section of unscrupulous traders are doing brick business raising the prices of the goods. And the situation continues for lack of market monitoring letting the seasonal traders indulge in the evil practice.
During a recent visit, it was found that prices of almost all the vegetables increased by Tk 5 to 10 per kg in the last one week.
Price of brinjal increased to Tk70 per kg, green chilli to Tk 40 per kg, and cucumber to Tk 50 per kg. Breaking all the previous records, ginger is selling now at Tk250 per kg while it was only Tk140 in the last week.
At the same time, price of onion increased by Tk14 per kg, potato by Tk9 per kg and molasses by Tk 5 per kg.
Tomato was available at Tk40 per kg, chilli at Tk 50 per kg and garlic at Tk25 per kg. Hilsa fish retailed here at Tk 1,400 per kg while air retailed at Tk1,450 and baila at Tk1,000 per kg. It was found that crisis of the sweet water fishes was prevailing everywhere.
Price of rice increased by Tk 1-3 a kilogram in the retail markets in the last week while the same did not increase in the wholesale markets.
Guppi Ghos, a wholesaler, said there was no ground to increase the prices of rice as the supply here remained normal.
Coarse variety BR-28 rice was retailed at Tk 40-42, guti rice at Tk36 , Bullet at Tk34 up by Tk 2 in last one week.
Ordinary grade coarse variety rice sold at Tk 32 a kilogram in bulk trading at Sylhet Fariya Potty.
Miniket variety rice sold at Tk45-48 and Chinigura at Tk60-80 in the retail market.
On the other hand, Swarna rice sold at Tk 34, Pariza old at Tk34 and Nazirshail at Tk 50 per kg.
During visit to different city kitchen markets yesterday, it was found that among pulses, khesari sold at Tk 42 per kg up by Tk 2 in a week, local variety lentil sold at Tk105, imported lentil at Tk85, moog at Tk115, imported gram at Tk55 and local gram at Tk62 per kg.
Beson (dust of gram) and chickpea, whose consumption peaks in Ramadan, were selling at between Tk 80 and Tk 85 a kg, up by Tk 5 in a week.
Sugar retailed at between Tk 46 and Tk 57 a kilogram, stable in the past couple of weeks while iodised salt sold at Tk 23 per kg, tea at Tk270-300 from Tk 280 of early month.
Price of soybean oil reached Tk 105 per kg while price of bottled soybean oil which was available at Tk115 increased by Tk 5 per litre.
