The unholy nexus of a section of businessmen, middlemen and traders across the country is now plotting to make the country’s edible oil and pulses market unstable.
The price rising trend of edible oil and pulses can be noticed in the daily market price update of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
In last one month, the price of loose soybean has increased by 5.70 percent per liter. Compared to the same period last year, the price has increased by 20.71 percent.
Besides, the price of one liter of bottled soybean oil has risen by 6.98 percent in a week. And compared to last year, it has increased by 9.52 percent per liter. The price of per liter loose palm oil increased by 5.17 percent. And it has increased by 32.61 percent during the year.
After visiting several kitchen markets it has been learnt that five-liter-bottled soybean oil was being sold at Tk 630 which was Tk 567 a month ago. Loose soybean oil is being sold at Tk 115 per kilogram (kg) which was Tk 105 around 10 days ago.
Bangladesh Wholesale Edible Oil Traders Association President Mohammad Golam Mawla said, “As the price of edible oil is increasing in the international market, we are having an impact of this. There are five to six companies in the country to control the edible oil price”.
After a meeting of traders with the Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on October 22, the government fixed the price of edible oil at the mill level. But the price did not come down in wholesale markets.
The syndicate is also hiking the pulses prices. Together they have increased the prices of all types of pulses. It is directly putting an impact at the consumer level.
Around a month ago, Dabli (Motor Dal) pluses were sold at Tk 25 per kg which is now Tk 35 a kg, lentil (big) is now Tk 60 to Tk 62 which was Tk 50 to Tk 52 a kg. On the other hand, fine quality lentil is now being sold at Tk 95 to Tk 100 whereas mung is Tk 100 to Tk 110 a kg now.
While asking several vendors, none could give any good reason behind the price hike of the pulses.
