The Directorate of the National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) on Thursday imposed a ban on the sales of watermelon in metric system which, the organisation thinks, is depriving consumers of reasonable price.
Fruit vendors will have to sell watermelon per piece instead of kilogram, says DNCRP Director General AHM Sofiquzzaman.
Traders buy watermelons from the southern coastal region per piece and sell those per kg to make hefty profits.
The DNCRP chief imposed the ban while inaugurating the fair price watermelon sale programme organised by the Bangladesh Poultry Association and 'Foshol.com' in front of TCB building at Karwan Bazar in the capital.
Sofiquzzaman said that traders should sell watermelons the way they buy.
"If someone buys a piece of watermelon, there is no opportunity to sell it per kg and it should have a valid voucher. If a trader has no voucher, he will be punished," he said.
Consumers can make complaint if anyone sells watermelon per kg, he said, adding: "We will take stern action."
However, a big-sized watermelon (above 8.0kg) was being sold at Tk 55-70 a kg in the capital on the day.
Only few shops were selling small-sized watermelon at Tk 200-300 a piece.
A 12-kg watermelon from Patuakhali was charged Tk 650 on Thursday at Dhanmondi -15 in the capital.
According to the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM), farmers are getting maximum Tk 250 from city traders for an above 10-kg watermelon.
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