Noman Mosharef :
Syndicates seem active ahead of Holy Ramzan to raise the price of the essential commodities to male excessive profit at the cost of the people.
After visiting the capital retail markets it was seen that the prices of the essential commodities like Gram, Lentil edible oil and lentil price have been increased for second time in a week, whereas the government has no order to increase edible oil in particular.
Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) said, the price of gram per kg has increased by Tk five. Blue Gram and lentil have also increased. Besides, loose soybean oil’s price has increased by Tk 3-5 per liter, five-liter bottled soybean oil by Tk10 and loose palm oil by Tk two per liter. On the other hand, the traders are not abiding by the government instruction. Last Wednesday Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said that next 15 days the price of edible oil would not be increased whereas day after minister announcement per litter edible oil price has increased by Tk five.
On Thursday, loose soybeans oil were sold at Tk 145-148 per liter, which was sold one week before at Tk 140-145. The five-liter bottled soybean was sold for Tk 700 a week ago but now at Tk 710 to Tk 750. On Friday, at Bagan Bari, South Goran, a liter of edible oil was sold at Tk 160 per kg. In addition, on January 10, gram was sold at Tk 75 per kg in the retail market with an increase of Tk five per kg. Then on Thursday the price of the product was increased in the second phase. As a result, per kg gram is now being sold at Tk 80 in
the retail market. Talking to the sellers, it has been known that per kg Blue Gram was sold at Tk 120-140 on Thursday, which was sold one week ago at Tk 115-135. Among the lentils, medium-quality of len til was sold at Tk 105-110 per kg, which was Tk 100-105 seven days ago. Coarse lentils are being sold at Tk 100 per kg, which was sold at Tk 90 a month ago. Good quality lentil is being sold at Tk 120 per kg, which was sold at Tk 110 a month ago.
Furthermore, the price of winter vegetables is being sold at high price whereas another essential item for cooking ‘Onion’ is being sold at Tk 25-30 per kg (local).
The egg is being sold at Tk 110 (per dozen. Golam Rahman, President of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and former Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Com-mission (ACC), said that it was seen that traders have always been raising prices before Ramadan. For this reason, monitoring has to be done in advance. Strict action should be taken against those responsible through strict supervision.
Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection Deputy Director Monjur Mohammad Shariar said that market surveillance has started ahead of Holy Ramzan under the direction of the Commerce Ministry and the Director General (DG) of the department. If any kind of irregularity is found, immediate action is being taken. The price at which a product is bought and sold is already being scrutinized by sitting with the traders.
He said that strict punishment would be ensured for manipulating price of the essential commodities.
