COX'S BAZAR, Dec 07: The district administration has formed a high-powered committee to probe alleged manipulation of prices of onion by a section of importers and hoarding of the spice by the unscrupulous traders.
Government officials said the committee has been formed following media reports of onion price manipulation by some traders who are importing a large quantity of the cooking ingredient through Teknaf Land Port and supplying a smaller quantity to the market ostensibly to hoard it and create an artificial crisis with an apparent intention to manipulate the price.
"I've formed the task force as there are many reports that importers are supplying small quantities of onion to create an artificial crisis of the cooking spice in domestic market (of Bangladesh)," Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar district Kamal Hossain told reporters on Friday.
"(Onion imports are huge but the supply is too short", he told the journalists at his office in Cox's Bazar town.
He said the committee will submit its report within three working days (from Friday) and the next course of action will come following submission of the report.
"We'll then take stern actions," he said in reply to a query about the kind of action the district administration will take if the committee finds anyone responsible for onion price manipulation and its hoarding.
Additional Magistrate of Cox's Bazar district Md Shajahan has been made the head of the committee. The other members are superintendent of police of the district and a magistrate posted at Teknaf upazila.
Local administration sources said police has discovered mismatches between the quantity of the imported onion and its supply to the local market (in the last two-and-a-half-month).
"We were informed of such organised game (manipulation) on Wednesday being played by a section of importers in connivance with some clearing & forwarding agents and other (dishonest people)," the officials said.
The deputy commissioner said Police Superintendent Nihad Adnand noticed such 'managed game' at the land port recently.
He said the onion price at Myanmar is hovering between Tk 30 and 32 per kilogram (kg) while its import price is just over Tk 43 a kg (including freight and other charge). But the imported onion is being sold at more than Tk 200 a kg in the markets, he noted.
The importers have procured nearly 50,000 metric tonnes of onion over the past three months since August, he mentioned.
Around 50 importers were usually involved in procuring onion through the land port during that time, said the DC.
It is alleged that a huge quantities of Myanmar onions are arriving at Teknaf Land Port everyday but most of the consignments don't reach the local markets as some dishonest hoarders stocking the essential items in Teknaf area and on the other side of the border in Myanmar to artificially create its crisis in the domestic market and make a windfall profit.
Reliable sources said, onion importers, C & F agents, customs department officials and the land port officials jointly created a syndicate for onion price manipulation. This syndicate has tried multiple times to confuse government officials and people by misinforming them about onion import and supply situation, they said.
Meanhwile, the police department in the district has started an investigation into the alleged onion market manipulation.
A police investigation team, headed by Additional Police Super (Ukhiya Circle) Nihad Adnan Taian investigated the matter at Teknaf on Thursday. The team discovered big miss-match between the information about the quantity of imported onion and that on supply in the market.
The police team found that onion supply is very low in the local markets, according to the investigators.
Police officials said that a syndicate has been created which is hatching conspiracy in Teknaf to continue the artificial crisis of onion in the markets for a long time.
Contacted, revenue officer at Teknaf Land Port Afsar Uddin informed that 800 to 1,100 metric tonnes of onion are being imported from Myanmar every day.
Around 50,000 metric tonnes of onion brought in from Myanmar in October and November after India imposed ban on onion export in late September, he added.
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