Anisul Islam Noor :
The prices of most food stuffs began to rise with the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan.
Though some steps were taken to keep the price within the purchasing capacity of the consumers, it has not been effective, as the traders did not follow the price list of the commodities issued by the two city corporations.
It was seen visiting different kitchen markets at Shantinagor, Hatirpool, Malibag, Jurain Bazar, New Market, Mohammadpur and West Kazipara on Tuesday, that rice, pulses, chickpea, meat and fish in particular were being sold at a higher price compared with what it was a week ago.
At South Goran under Khilgaon PS, the Nazirsail brand of rice was selling at Tk 55 per kilo, whereas is price was 48 a month ago.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) fixed Tk 82-84 per kilogram (kg) for chickpea, but at Hatirpool market it was sold at Tk 90-92. Imported garlic was sold at Tk 300-350 a kg instead of the fixed price of Tk 275-286 per kg.
Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) expanded the Open Market Sale (OMS) programme in the middle of May, and the government assured of adequate supply of essential commodities during Ramazan, but there has been little effective.
TCB expanded the OMS programme to sell food items from 187 mobile trucks, 35 of them in the capital. As many as 2,811 dealers have been assigned to continue OMS operations across the country. Beef, home and foreign qualities, were selling for Tk 500 and Tk 480 a kg, up from the officially announced prices of Tk 475 and Tk 440. According to the Market-Monitoring Findings of the TCB, the price of edible oil went up by Tk two a litre from what it was last week and a month ago while the price of sugar rose by Tk 6-10 per kilo.
The price of almost all kinds of fish has increased by Tk 50 to 100 a kg on average, and the price of eggplant rose to Tk 60-100 a kg, up from Tk 40-50 last week. Price of green chilly is Tk 40 to 50 per kg, remaining unchanged from last week. Four pieces of lemons were selling at Tk 15-20. A customer in the capital’s Hatirpool market Sharifa Begum said traders were not following the price list issued by the DSCC. She had bought a rohit fish at Tk 270 per kg around four days ago, but he had to buy the same fish at Tk 350 per kg yesterday from the same market.
Another consumer Belayet Ali said, “The lower income group of people will suffer most.”
At Mirpur’s West Kazipara Masjid Market, one Sujon Mia bought 4.5 kg of beef for Tk 2,250 (Tk 500 per kg). On returning home he found that the meat was weighed less. He went back to the shop and got locked in an altercation with the shopkeeper.
Abdur Rashid, a meat trader of the Jurain market, said traders had to purchase cattle at higher prices, for which they could not sell as per the DSCC fixed prices. Almost three quarters of the butchers have stopped trading meat, he said.
When asked why the prices of essentials increased, Mohammad Jalal, a shopkeeper in Hatirpool market, said, “Prices always go up with the beginning of Ramazan.”
Two Dhaka mayors had assured city residents of strict monitoring of the kitchen markets and a price list to be followed by traders.
A nine-member team visited 15 kitchen markets under the Dhaka North City Corporation to ensure safe food and fair prices, said DNCC Public Relations Officer Monzur-E-Mowla.
