CHATTOGRAM, July 26: The prices of daily essentials escalated in the port city of Chattogram last week due to countrywide political unrest and a curfew in force.
As a result, people on low incomes are spending their days in utter misery for this price spiral.
Traders have ascribed this hike to disrupted supplies of essentials like vegetables, chicken and other essentials amid this fluid political situation.
But consumers allege that traders rig the prices by Tk 1.0-5.0 almost daily on a threadbare excuse despite a huge stock of essentials like rice, sugar and salt.
So, the buyers are suffering a lot due to this rampant and silent price hike.
Retailers, however, say they are not involved in this bad practice of rigging prices.
Narendra Nath, a Reajuddin Bazar retailer, said, "We are buying essentials from wholesale markets at high prices and selling at a 10-15 per cent profit."
"The fact is the supply of essentials is being disrupted for political unrest and a curfew in place. So, essential prices are surging now."
Meanwhile, buyers blame traders for raising prices of daily commodities and vegetables on different pretexts from time to time as everything is going beyond the purchasing power of people.
Due to curfew, traders argued, goods trucks are still entering Chattogram on a limited scale. So, the prices are a little higher.
No vegetables are found below Tk 60 a kg in the kitchen market here now.
Potato sells at Tk 60-65 a kg, gourd at Tk 70-80 apiece, bitter gourd at 70-80, sweet pumpkin at Tk 40-45 a kg, cauliflower at Tk 100-120, tomato at Tk 200-220, carrot at Tk 100 and green papaya at Tk 50-60.
The prices of brinjal, cucumber, lemon and green chilli are also increasing every day.
Retailers are selling brinjal at Tk 80 per kg against Tk 50-60 a few days ago.
The price of lemon is increasing higher at the ahead of Ramadan. A good quality lemon is being sold at 15 to 20 taka apiece.
Cucumber now sells at Tk 100-120 a kg and kheera, another variety, at Tk 70-80. On the other hand, green chilli sells at Tk 120-180 per kg.
Besides, potato is being sold at Tk 40 per kg, onion at Tk 120, garlic at Tk 200 and ginger at Tk 280-300.
Monitoring the fish market, it was found hilsa selling at Tk 1,800-2,000 a kg, ruhi at Tk 400-450, pangash at Tk 200-220, tilapia at Tk 250-260, kachki at Tk 500, koi at Tk 200-240, shrimp at Tk 800-900, tengra at Tk 800 and pabda at Tk 450-500.
On the other hand, red meat like beef sells at Tk 750-800 a kg and mutton at Tk 1,000-1,200.
Meanwhile, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has started to sell products at fair prices.
TCB Chattogram regional office deputy director Md Shafiqul Islam says cardholders can buy maximum 2.0 litres of oil, 2.0 kg of lentil and 5.0 kg of rice.
Soybean oil will be priced at Tk 100 per litre, lentil at Tk 60 per kg and rice at Tk 30.
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