Commodity prices prohibitive again in Rajshahi

Fresh price surge has turned markets a little bit unstable again though essential commodities got seemingly somewhat cheaper early this month following monitoring by the students.
Students intervened as prices went exorbitantly up on the pretext of low supply in the wholesale markets of the districts last month during the countrywide shutdown as a sequel to the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement that led to the ouster of the Awami League regime.
Our Rajshahi correspondent reports: Prices of the daily commodities have gone up in the city markets much to the concern of the commoners.
While visiting Saheb Bazar, Naodapara, Shalbagan, New Market, Shiroil, Kharkhari Bypass and various other markets of the city on Sunday, this correspondent found that prices of different types of vegetables increased further. Prices of some vegetables even doubled in a span of four to five days.
Green chilli was retailing at Tk380 to Tk 400 per kilogram, which was only Tk180 to Tk200 per kg a week ago.
Besides, in a range of one week, price of Ruhi and Catla fish has increased by Tk50 to Tk350 each kg, boiler chicken price has risen by Tk20 to Tk 160, onion has increased by Tk 10 to Tk 110, potato has increased by Tk5 to Tk50, papaya has increased by Tk5 to Tk 50, arum has risen by Tk5 to Tk80, pointed gourd increased by Tk5 to Tk25, bitter gourd has increased by Tk5 and was selling for Tk40 a kg.
Meanwhile, price of eggs in Rajshahi has increased by Tk4 per dozen within a day.
In the markets, price of red eggs has increased from Tk48 to Tk 52 per quadrant and white eggs were being sold at between Tk44 and Tk48 per quadrant.
Consumers complained that there was no control on prices due to lack of regular supervision and despite the fact that new price lists were recently hanged.
Sumon Ali, who came to the city's Shalbagan kitchen market, said that the price of green chili was Tk200 per kg during the student movement against discriminations.
A week ago when students started monitoring the markets prices fell by Tk20-25 per cent but on Sunday green chilli was being sold at Tk400 per kg.
Price of almost every vegetable has increased by Tk5 to Tk50, he said.
Shukuruddin Mridha, wholesale green chilli seller of Kharkhari Bypass kitchen market, said that besides Rajshahi, farmers come from Chapainawabganj, Natore and Naogaon to sell green chilli. The farmers of Rajshahi sell green chilli along with them.
But for the past few days, green chilli supplies are not coming. Also, chilli could not be imported for being unable to open LCs (letters of credit). While talking to a retailer named Alamgir Hossain in the kitchen market of New Market of the city, he said not only green chilli, price of almost every vegetable has increased due to decrease in imports. He also said if supply increases, price will automatically decrease.
In Sylhet, common buyers especially the low-income and middle-class people have been witnessing high price of green chili amid short supply.
Green chilli is selling for Tk350 to Tk 400 per kg in the city's markets. People are now buying vegetables in less quantity due to high prices.
The unstable market situation was caused by repeated floods, followed by the student unrest for weeks together, said Rafique Ahmed, a vegetable vendor in the city's Mirer Maidan area.
He, however, claimed that scanty and irregular supply caused unstable market situation for over two months.
However, monitoring by agitating students kept the market stable for days, said another seller Ataur at his vegetable shop at Rikabibazar, it's absent by now.
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent writes: Price of green chilli has remained unchanged in the local markets.
Visiting a market in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, it was found that one kg green chilli was selling at Tk 320 while it was only Tk200 to Tk 240 a few days ago.
Zahangir Alam, a retail vegetable trader of Goshala market of Lalmonirhat, said that price increased due to short supply of chilli in the market.
Chilli fields in most areas have dried due to sunny weather so the production is declining.

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