Prices of essentials keep soaring ahead of Ramadan
Sunday, 16 August 2009
FE Report
The prices of all kinds of food items and items used to prepare Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan keep rising amid government steps to control prices. Consumers have already started experiencing the sizzle of the market with prices of Ramadan items and other essentials going up only a week ahead of the holy month.
The prices of Ramadan food items started galloping since Shab-e-Barat, adding extra pressure on kitchen costs. Consumers, especially belonging to the low-income group, are bearing the brunt because of the hike as a never-ending vicious cycle of price boom has pushed a large number of items beyond the purchasing capacity of this section of the society.
Prices of the most of the common Iftar items like gram (chhola), piazoo, puffed rice (muri), flattened rice (chira), various sherbet powder and dates have already gone up.
Chickpeas vastly consumed during Ramadan now cost Tk 50 a kg, which was only Tk 35- Tk 40 a week ago. Lentil (khesari) now sells at Tk 60 a kg, onion Tk 40, garlic Tk 72 and ginger Tk 72.
Other necessary items such as beshon (powdered pulses) sells at Tk 70 per kg which was Tk 45 per kg a year ago. A jar of 750gm Tang orange drink costs Tk 240, which was Tk 200 a year ago.
One kilogramme of chilli powder costs Tk 200, which was Tk 160 only 2 to 3 weeks ago while the price of cumin seeds went up by 25 to 30 per cent and now sells at Tk 300.
The price of ordinary dates marked a sharp rise, selling at Tk 120 per kg which was Tk 90 a year ago. A kilogramme of potato is now selling at Tk 28 and puffed rice Tk 50 which was Tk 40 last year.
For a can of 450gm ghee and butter oil one must spend around Tk 295 to Tk 305.
Broiler chicken is now selling at Tk 125 and local breed Tk 180 per kg. However, eggplant is still affordable this year and it costs Tk 40 a kg. Cucumber is now selling at Tk 35 a kg.
Since long time fruits have become a luxury for the poor. Now they cannot even dream about it. Banana used to be the cheapest source of nutrition. A good size banana now sells at Tk 6. Price of one kg apple is Tk 120 to Tk 140 while grapes cost Tk 240. Poor man's apple guava is also now out of their reach. A moderate piece of this fruit now costs Tk 8.
The common people see no respite from the spiraling price hike. "Ramadan and price hike of essentials are synonymous in Bangladesh," said a retired government officer from Mirpur.
"Price of everything keeps going up all through the year. Only the Almighty knows how high it will go up during this Ramadan", he said.
A salesman from Mirpur Road said, "When two years ago the price of a kg of brinjal increased up to Tk 80, beguni became the costliest iftar item. Street side iftar sellers even used papaya as replacement of brinjal. That year we did not eat beguni during iftar. The way the prices of food are going up this year, probably all the items will become costlier."
The prices of all kinds of food items and items used to prepare Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan keep rising amid government steps to control prices. Consumers have already started experiencing the sizzle of the market with prices of Ramadan items and other essentials going up only a week ahead of the holy month.
The prices of Ramadan food items started galloping since Shab-e-Barat, adding extra pressure on kitchen costs. Consumers, especially belonging to the low-income group, are bearing the brunt because of the hike as a never-ending vicious cycle of price boom has pushed a large number of items beyond the purchasing capacity of this section of the society.
Prices of the most of the common Iftar items like gram (chhola), piazoo, puffed rice (muri), flattened rice (chira), various sherbet powder and dates have already gone up.
Chickpeas vastly consumed during Ramadan now cost Tk 50 a kg, which was only Tk 35- Tk 40 a week ago. Lentil (khesari) now sells at Tk 60 a kg, onion Tk 40, garlic Tk 72 and ginger Tk 72.
Other necessary items such as beshon (powdered pulses) sells at Tk 70 per kg which was Tk 45 per kg a year ago. A jar of 750gm Tang orange drink costs Tk 240, which was Tk 200 a year ago.
One kilogramme of chilli powder costs Tk 200, which was Tk 160 only 2 to 3 weeks ago while the price of cumin seeds went up by 25 to 30 per cent and now sells at Tk 300.
The price of ordinary dates marked a sharp rise, selling at Tk 120 per kg which was Tk 90 a year ago. A kilogramme of potato is now selling at Tk 28 and puffed rice Tk 50 which was Tk 40 last year.
For a can of 450gm ghee and butter oil one must spend around Tk 295 to Tk 305.
Broiler chicken is now selling at Tk 125 and local breed Tk 180 per kg. However, eggplant is still affordable this year and it costs Tk 40 a kg. Cucumber is now selling at Tk 35 a kg.
Since long time fruits have become a luxury for the poor. Now they cannot even dream about it. Banana used to be the cheapest source of nutrition. A good size banana now sells at Tk 6. Price of one kg apple is Tk 120 to Tk 140 while grapes cost Tk 240. Poor man's apple guava is also now out of their reach. A moderate piece of this fruit now costs Tk 8.
The common people see no respite from the spiraling price hike. "Ramadan and price hike of essentials are synonymous in Bangladesh," said a retired government officer from Mirpur.
"Price of everything keeps going up all through the year. Only the Almighty knows how high it will go up during this Ramadan", he said.
A salesman from Mirpur Road said, "When two years ago the price of a kg of brinjal increased up to Tk 80, beguni became the costliest iftar item. Street side iftar sellers even used papaya as replacement of brinjal. That year we did not eat beguni during iftar. The way the prices of food are going up this year, probably all the items will become costlier."