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Download PDF Prices of essentials including potato, eggs, oil, meat and fruits have once again increased even after the end of the Eid ul-Fitr, due to the volatile political situation across the country.
Although the demands for essentials have fallen sharply in the capital as a large number of its dwellers were unable to return to the city after observing Eid at their homes away from the capital due to the countrywide siege programme, the prices of many items shot up in the last four or five days.
Retailers and wholesalers attributed this price spiral to the countrywide siege programme, and unpredictable political atmosphere.
However, a few others complained that a section of unscrupulous businesspeople are creating artificial crisis to make hefty cash during the political turmoil.
“The transport system across the country has totally collapsed disrupting the supply of essentials and raising prices of the products,” a retailer at New Market of the city told The Daily Star.
Cost of a dozen eggs has increased by Tk 6 and now selling at Tk 54 to57 in retail market while potato is selling at Tk 28 per kg, which was Tk 26, just two days back.
Onion price per kg has been increased by Tk 5 to 6.Wholesalers said its prices may come down after receiving fresh consignments after the political situation stabilizes.
Super palm oil is Tk 60 per litre now, but it was Tk 55 before the Eid. Retailers said price of edible oil is increasing by day, as the product is in short supply now.
One kg of pulses is now selling at Tk 70 per kg that was sold at Tk 65 four days ago.
Beef is being sold at Tk 170 per kg but somewhere traders are selling buffalo meat in the name of beef at Tk 150. “As the supplies from bordering areas were disrupted due to the political situation, its prices increased,” a beef trader at East Razabazar said.
Per kg broiler chicken is being sold at Tk 110 in retail markets that was Tk 90 before the Eid, said the retailers.
Prices of apple, malta and orange have gone up too. For this price hike, retailers blamed the restructuring of tariffs by the customs only two days before the Eid.
The retail price of apple is now Tk 100 per kg that was sold at Tk 80 before the Eid. A dozen orange (large) is now selling at Tk 150 that was Tk 120 before the price hike.
“Before the tax restructuring, we used to pay Tk 1,80,000 to customs against every 12 ton capacity fruit-laden truck which has been increased to Tk 3 lakh at present,” said Muhammad Muslim, owner of a wholesale fruit store at Badamtoli market.
The rice wholesalers at Badamtoli wholesale market said though the prices of rice are still stable in the city markets, its prices may rise from tomorrow as the prices of rice already increased by Tk 10 to 15 per mound in the supplying areas.
Rice retailers said the imported essential items could not be unloaded at the two ports of the country as they have been inoperative for the last few days due to the opposition’s siege programme creating a supply shortfall.
“The truck drivers are not interested to take the risk of transporting goods amid the volatile political situation - which is contributing to the crisis,” said a wholesaler at Karwanbazar kitchen market in Dhaka.
The wholesalers warned that the real heat in the market as well as the effect of the political instability will be felt after two or three days from now. The essentials’ markets will be fully operational two or three days after the city dwellers get back to the city after the withdrawal of siege programme yesterday.
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