After a brief pause of a couple of weeks, prices of onions and eggs have once again witnessed a significant increase, causing concerns for consumers.
Local onions on Sunday reached Tk 80-90 per kg, while imported Indian onions were at Tk 50-60 per kg, marking a surge of Tk 10-15 per kg in just a few days.
Farm egg prices (brown) also shot up to Tk 155-165 per dozen, experiencing a hike of Tk 10 per dozen during the same period.
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) reported a 10 per cent increase in egg prices and a more substantial 23-25 per cent rise in onion prices during this period.
Abdul Gafur, a grocer at Mirpur Section 1 in the capital, said the wholesale price of eggs rose to Tk 1150-1160 per 100 pieces on Sunday, compared to Tk 1080-1100 just two days prior.
The eggs are supplied to groceries by agents of big traders in Dhaka's Tejgaon area.
Md Manzur, a wholesaler at Tejgaon, said egg prices at the farm level surged notably in areas like Savar, Dhamrai, Keraniganj, Dohar, Nowabganj, Cumilla, Pabna, Sirajganj and Tangail over the last two weeks.
He pointed out that the farm-level price of brown eggs increased by Tk 1.5 per piece, reaching Tk 10.5.
He said rising farm-level rates and soaring transportation costs have compelled traders to raise the prices.
SM Nazer Hossain, vice president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), expressed concern over the escalating prices of essential commodities.
He said that the surging prices of eggs, chicken and cultured fish are affecting the protein intake of millions of common people.
Hossain further noted that despite having a good local supply and low import costs, onion prices continue to rise, primarily benefiting traders.
He pointed the finger at a lack of visible and effective monitoring in kitchen markets, allowing traders to fix prices at their discretion for commodities like onions and eggs.
Hossain called for strict monitoring of egg wholesalers in Tejgaon, Karwan Bazar and other markets in the capital.
He also advocated monitoring of big onion traders in Faridpur, Rajbari, Pabna, Dhaka and other regions to ensure that prices of the cooking essential remain within the reach of people with limited income.
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