Common people faced with serious financial hardship are struggling to survive as prices of most essential commodities went beyond their purchase capacity, intensifying the miseries.
The soaring prices of most essential food like rice, pulses, flour, meat, vegetables, oil, onion, spices and other products have forced many to consume less amount of those costly items.
Not surprisingly, prices of many essential food have gone up by almost 100 percent, like onion, garlic and ginger. Although vegetables are available in plenty but the prices are pretty high.
The traders are showing the old excuse behind this price increase. They said that due to loss of standing crops and vegetable in the prolonged floods there were short supply of the essential items in most of the city markets. Besides, they said that due to disruption in road communications many of the transports could not reach the city from outside the capital.
However, market analysts said, there is no reason behind this price hike. According to them, a syndicate controls this business and they take advantage of such situation like the flood by creating artificial crisis of goods.
Commerce Minister TipuMunshi said, "Prices of some products are going up. One of the reasons is the adverse effects of nature. The floods had destroyed vegetables in many places. Standing crops have also been ruined on thousands of acres of land. Due to this the supply of products is a bit less. None of us have a hand in natural disasters including floods. But we are trying to control the price."
"Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and other government organisations are working on this issue. On the other hand, as Winter season is approaching, fresh vegetables will start arriving in the markets. I am sure price will come down by then," he added.
When asked about the onion price, the minister replied that, "Every year from August, our locally produced onion stock start to finish. Last year India had stopped supplying onions, we face crisis but now we import onion from Turkey too, so price is expected to remain stable."
Visiting capital's different kitchen markets it was found that, swarnavariety of rice is selling at Tk 48 to Tk 50 per kg which was Tk 42 to Tk 44 a month before, similarly lentil is selling at Tk 78 per kg which was Tk 70, loose flour is Tk 32 per kg which was Tk 26 per kg.
Among the edible oils, loose soybeans is available at Tk 86 per liter, up from Tk 80 a month ago. Five-liter bottled soybeans is Tk 510, up from Tk 500 a month ago.
On the other hand, per kg local onion price is now Tk 70 to Tk75 which was Tk 35 to Tk 40 past month. Imported onion which was Tk 30, now selling at Tk 60 per kg. Garlic price is Tk 120 per kg, ginger is Tk 240 per kg.
Per dozen egg price is now Tk 115, per kg broiler chicken price is now Tk 130 up from Tk 110.
In the vegetables market, papaya is selling at Tk 50 per kg, brinjal is Tk 120, tomato is Tk 130, carrot is Tk 130, long bean is Tk 80, bitter gourd is Tk 90, and per kg potato is selling at Tk 40, while green chili price is Tk 250 per kg.
