Daily essentials get pricier
Soaring prices of essentials in Ramadan have become a major burden at a time when hundreds of thousands of people are struggling with reduced income due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Prices of lentil, sugar, onion, ginger, garlic, dry chili, chickpeas, chicken and palm and soybean oils have increased by Tk 5-100 over the past week.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Retailers said scarcity of transport is the main reason for the increase.
Ginger and garlic prices have broken records last week mainly because of congestions at Chattogram port, traders said.
However, an intelligence agency report last week warned the government that a group of importers and wholesalers would try to destabilise the kitchen market by creating an artificial crisis during the month of Ramadan, which starts today.
The agency also pointed out that transport problems could be caused by the sudden demand for relief activities and scarcity of workers in the sector. Supply shortage is also a reason behind the price hike, it said.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of each kg of ginger was between Tk 100 and Tk 160 a month ago, when the government was about to impose the shutdown.
Yesterday, a kg of ginger was sold for Tk 320-350 at a Jatrabari kitchen market. The price of garlic also shot up to Tk 165 from Tk 155 a kg just a week ago. A month ago, a kg of garlic was sold for Tk 100-110.
"I have already been running my family by taking loans. Now, the prices are rising. How will we survive?" asked Swapan Mia, who worked at a clothing store.
Shabnam Ahmed, a housewife, said, "Middle class people like us have nowhere to go."
The government should do something to prevent the price hikes.
"I request the government to control the prices. It would be a relief for us," she said.
According to the TCB and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM), the prices of each kg of lentil increased by Tk 22-25 while the prices of a kg of chickpeas and sugar shot up to Tk 85 and Tk 75 from Tk 75 and Tk 70. Onion prices also increased by Tk 5 while palm and soybean oil prices increased by Tk 3-5.
The price of local chicken increased by Tk 100 per kg while the broiler breed by Tk 15 a kg.
Contacted, former vice president of Bangladesh Retail Edible Oil Traders Association Abul Hashem said, "The problem lies in transportation. On top of that, people are buying more ahead of the Ramadan. Therefore a supply shortage has been created in the market."
General Secretary of Badamtali Arot Malik Samity Nizam Uddin said each trip for a truck now costs Tk 3,000 which was Tk 2,000 before the shutdown.
INTELLIGENCE REPORT
The report mentioned that the prices of some essentials were hiked just after the shutdown.
The report urged the government to strongly monitor large kitchen markets in the capital's Karwan Bazar, Shyambazar, Jatrabari and Mohammadpur.
The agency also recommended ensuring trucks for the suppliers and arranging uninterrupted import.
It said coordinating with noted importers and monitoring their imported products could help rein in the price. If necessary, the importers could be given tax cuts.
Strict monitoring on markets through mobile courts and actions against hoarders were also recommended.
It further suggested increasing the reserve of TCB and opening more centres to increase the sale in the open market.
On Wednesday, in a video conference, the Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed directed all unit chiefs to strengthen market monitoring to control prices of essentials.
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