Meat prices soar ahead of Eid

Consumers have claimed that traders in various city markets have hiked meat prices ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, reports bdnews24.com.
Bangladesh Meat Traders' Association says chicken and mutton sellers have increased prices without any good reason.
Sanchita Mostakim, a resident of New Market area, said she bought broiler chicken at Tk 160 per kilogramme, local chicken at Tk 400 and mutton at Tk 600 from a local market.
"The traders are charging Tk 50 extra per kg in the pretext of Eid bonus," she added.
An official of a private company, Firoz Rashid, said he bought five kgs of mutton at Tk 600 per kg. He bought mutton at Tk 550 a kg a few days ago.
Private car driver Md Harun, a resident of Mohammadpur, said he bought two local chickens at Tk 700 from Town Hall market, up by Tk 100 only a few days ago.
Bangladesh Meat Traders' Association Secretary General Rabiul Alam said the sellers of chicken and mutton abruptly increased the prices. He said they could not give any good reason for the hike.
Beef price, he claimed, dropped recently after it had increased a few months ago. "Beef is being sold between Tk 360 and Tk 370 per kg in various markets."
He said, "Beef price jumped to Tk 400 from Tk 280 after India banned cattle export."
Mr Alam said the traders later started importing cows from Myanmar to meet local demand.
The beef price again went up after import from Myanmar was halted following 'trouble' along the border, he said, adding that cattle from India again became available after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Dhaka visit in June