The country's apex trade body stepped in Sunday to contain the prices of brinjal following its abrupt hike in the kitchen markets as the mechanism taken by the government to rein in prices failed to work, disappointing consumers, customers said.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) hoped Sunday the prices of brinjal would come down to a tolerable level within the next one week as it started sourcing brinjal from different districts to the capital, an influential leader said.
"We are talking to different district chambers. We are trying to source brinjal from different districts to the capital aiming to reduce the prices," FBCCI vice-president Md Helal Uddin told the FE Sunday.
The prices of brinjal shot up sharply in recent days following wide demand during the ongoing month of Ramadan for preparing 'beguni,' an important item for iftar recipe.
A kg of brinjal depending on size and quality was sold between Tk 60 and Tk 120 at different kitchen markets in the capital on the day.
The FBCCI leader said the prices of brinjal would come down to a tolerable level within the next one week as they are trying to increase the supply of brinjal from different districts to the capital to reduce the price.
"We are trying to increase the supply of brinjal to the capital from different districts to reduce the prices," he said.
He said if the prices do not come down within the next one week then the apex trade body will take steps for importing brinjal from the neigbouring country.
"If the prices do not come down to a tolerable level within the next one week, then we will initiate steps for importing brinjal from the neighbouring country," he added.
"We are discussing the matter with the businessmen and customs department for import of brinjal, if needed," he said.
He called upon the customers not to be panicky as the supply of essential commodities in the kitchen markets is sufficient.
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