Staff Reporter :
The kitchen markets of the capital city Dhaka are considering no more safe places for the poor, low and middle income group people as they could not maintain the expenditure of life any more.
The price of essentials is soaring simultaneously without showing any sign of pause mounting huge pressure on them.
It is seems flogging a dead horse as the price of green chili is skyrocketing between Tk280 and Tk300 per kilogram in the capital kitchen market.
Retailers said, following a steady rise in the prices of most of the commodities in recent weeks, wholesalers continued their business with the elevatedprices making it a standard.
They said that, scope for manipulating the market was difficult for the retailers due to their large number in the retail markets but it was easy for a small number of wholesalers and importers who control the local commodity market.
Vegetables also maintained high prices over the week.
Aubergine sold for Tk 60-70 a kilogram, papaya for Tk 50-60 a kilogram, bitter gourd for Tk 60-70 a kilogram, bottle gourd for Tk 60-70 apiece, pointed gourd for Tk 50 a kilogram, okra for Tk 40-50 a kilogram, cucumber for Tk 70-80 a kilogram, carrot for Tk 70-80 a kilogram and tomatoes for Tk 60-70 a kilogram on Friday.
The price of potato also remained high and the item sold for Tk 40-42 a kilogram in the city on the day.
The fish prices are also unbelievably high as Hilsa fishes are sold at a price of Tk 1500-1800 per kg while Rui fish Tk 500, Katla fish Tk 500-600, Kaliboush fish Tk 700, Shrimp Tk 1100-1200, Kanchki fish Tk 800, Tengra Tk 850 and Pabda Tk 500 per kg, Panggas, Telapia are being sold at Tk 250, cultivated Puti at Tk 800.
Despite allowing import of onions, the price of the local item maintained Tk 75-80 a kilogram on the city markets for past two weeks, but it was Tk 40 a kilogram two months ago. Traders set the price of local onions at Tk 75-80 a kilogram as a standard price as government monitoring in the market remained absent, consumers alleged.
However, onions imported from India were sold for Tk 50-60 a kilogram on the city markets on Friday.
Although commerce ministry set the price of sugar at Tk 120 a kilogram, traders set Tk 140-150 a kilogram as a standard price of the commodity and the government agencies remained silent about the misdeed of the businessmen.
The prices of rice remained high in the city over the week.
The coarse and medium-quality varieties of rice sold for Tk 50-52 a kilogram on Friday. BR-28 variety, known as a lower-grade Miniket, retailed at Tk 60-62 a kilogram.
The fine-variety of Miniket sold for Tk 70-75 a kilogram and Najirshail for Tk 80-90 a kilogram on Friday.
The price of broiler chicken remained unchanged and the item retailed at Tk 190-210 a kilogram on Friday.Locally bred hens sold for Tk 600-650 a kilogram on the day.The price of Sonalika variety of chicken remained unchanged and the item sold for Tk 330-350 a kilogram in the city on Friday.
The price of eggs remained high and the item sold for Tk 46-48 a hali (four pieces) in the city on Friday.
The price of beef remained high over the week and the item sold for Tk 780-800 a kilogram on the markets in the capital on Friday.
The price of mutton also remained high and the item sold for Tk 1,100-1,200 a kilogram on the day.
The government on June 11 announced decrease in the price of soya bean oil by Tk 10 a litre and it was supposed to take effect on the day but the item still traded at high prices on the city markets.
The commerce ministry announced that the price of packaged soya bean oil was decrease to Tk 189 a litre but the item sold for Tk 195-199 a litre on the city markets on Friday.
The price of unpackaged soya bean oil was set at Tk 167 but the item sold for Tk 170-175 a litre on the day.
The price of a five-litre container of soya bean oil was set at Tk 920 and the item sold for Tk 920-930 on the city markets.
Palm oil sold for Tk 130-135 a litre on Friday.
The price of ginger remained high over the week in the city and imported ginger sold for Tk 280-330 a kilogram while the local item sold for Tk 340-450 a kilogram on Friday.
The prices of garlic also remained high on the city markets over the week.
Imported garlic sold for Tk 150-160 a kilogram while its local variety sold for Tk 130-150 a kilogram on Friday.
