Anisul Islam Noor :
The price of rice has increased by Tk two to three per kg in Dhaka and Chittagong as supply from northern districts faces disruption due to unabated blockade and arson attack on trucks.
Rice is produced abundantly in Bogra, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Kushtia and are transported to Dhaka and Chittagong. But in view of the uninterrupted blockade programme and arson attacks on trucks, owners and drivers fear to transport rice to these two cities in spite of increase of truck fare two to three times, said wholesaler Hannan Hasan Bakul from Naogaon.
Shah Alam, rice trader at Badamtali-Babubazar market considered as the biggest rice wholesale hub in Dhaka, said that 15-tonne capacity truck now demands Tk 26,000 to 30,000 as fare. It was Tk 15,000 before blockade.
Moreover, rice traders now bear the loss if the truck is torched. At normal times,
suppliers take the full responsibility. “So, we have to charge higher prices as transportation cost,” he said.
Giving example, Shah Alam said, we paid Tk 34,000, more than double of the usual truck fare, from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka, due to political violence in the highway.
Retailers are selling fine rice (Najirshail) at Tk 50 a kg, which was Tk 48 two weeks ago, said Mohammad Ekabbar, a rice retailer at Karwan Bazar kitchen market. The price of coarse rice increased to Tk 35-37 from Tk 34- 3 5 per kg, which is an adverse impact of the blockade, said TCB data.
Shadat Hossain, a rice wholesaler at the capital’s Mohammadpur Krishi Market, said traders usually keep a certain level of stock. The stocks are being exhausted gradually, as fewer trucks now carry rice to the capital.
He said around 300 trucks usually bring rice to the city every day, but the number has dropped. Wholesalers now target weekends to get deliveries from millers to cut risk of attacks, he said.
“There is enough stock to meet the demand in Dhaka city. There is nothing to be worried about,” said Bhola Nath Das, manager of a wholesale shop.
In the port city, prices of all brands of rice rose by Tk 100-150 per 50-kg sack in the last two weeks.
Wholesalers are selling each 50-kg sack of fine rice for Tk 2,300-2,350, up from Tk 2,150-2,200. The wholesale price of coarse rice Swarna rose to Tk 1,560 per sack from Tk 1,450.
The number of trucks bringing supplies to the port city of Chittagong dropped for uncertainty reason, said Md Jamal Hossain, general secretary of Chaktai Traders Association.
More than a hundred truckloads of rice used to arrive at the market. The number has slumped to 30, he said.
The price of rice has increased by Tk two to three per kg in Dhaka and Chittagong as supply from northern districts faces disruption due to unabated blockade and arson attack on trucks.
Rice is produced abundantly in Bogra, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Kushtia and are transported to Dhaka and Chittagong. But in view of the uninterrupted blockade programme and arson attacks on trucks, owners and drivers fear to transport rice to these two cities in spite of increase of truck fare two to three times, said wholesaler Hannan Hasan Bakul from Naogaon.
Shah Alam, rice trader at Badamtali-Babubazar market considered as the biggest rice wholesale hub in Dhaka, said that 15-tonne capacity truck now demands Tk 26,000 to 30,000 as fare. It was Tk 15,000 before blockade.
Moreover, rice traders now bear the loss if the truck is torched. At normal times,
suppliers take the full responsibility. “So, we have to charge higher prices as transportation cost,” he said.
Giving example, Shah Alam said, we paid Tk 34,000, more than double of the usual truck fare, from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka, due to political violence in the highway.
Retailers are selling fine rice (Najirshail) at Tk 50 a kg, which was Tk 48 two weeks ago, said Mohammad Ekabbar, a rice retailer at Karwan Bazar kitchen market. The price of coarse rice increased to Tk 35-37 from Tk 34- 3 5 per kg, which is an adverse impact of the blockade, said TCB data.
Shadat Hossain, a rice wholesaler at the capital’s Mohammadpur Krishi Market, said traders usually keep a certain level of stock. The stocks are being exhausted gradually, as fewer trucks now carry rice to the capital.
He said around 300 trucks usually bring rice to the city every day, but the number has dropped. Wholesalers now target weekends to get deliveries from millers to cut risk of attacks, he said.
“There is enough stock to meet the demand in Dhaka city. There is nothing to be worried about,” said Bhola Nath Das, manager of a wholesale shop.
In the port city, prices of all brands of rice rose by Tk 100-150 per 50-kg sack in the last two weeks.
Wholesalers are selling each 50-kg sack of fine rice for Tk 2,300-2,350, up from Tk 2,150-2,200. The wholesale price of coarse rice Swarna rose to Tk 1,560 per sack from Tk 1,450.
The number of trucks bringing supplies to the port city of Chittagong dropped for uncertainty reason, said Md Jamal Hossain, general secretary of Chaktai Traders Association.
More than a hundred truckloads of rice used to arrive at the market. The number has slumped to 30, he said.
