The retail prices of various vegetables in the capital increased sharply on Thursday due to supply shortage caused by the 48-hour hartal on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Thursday aubergine, which cost Tk 35 to Tk 40 per kilogram on Tuesday, was being sold for Tk 40 to Tk 50 per kg at Hazrat Shah Ali City Corporation's kitchen market in Mirpur.
The price of green chilli more than doubled from Tk 32 to Tk 40 per kg on Tuesday to Tk 80 to Tk 100 per kg on Thursday.
Traders at Mirpur, Sheworapara, Farm Gate and Kawran Bazaar said that a decline in the supply of vegetables had pushed their up prices.
'Every day the price is going up and up because of different excuses and now has become almost double in just two days,' complained Selim Gazi who came to the Mirpur kitchen market. 'But we haven't seen anyone decreasing the prices so sharply within such a short period.'
Momin Bhandari, a trader at Kawran Bazaar wholesale market, said that vegetables from distance districts could not arrive because the
trucks could not move due to the two-day hartal called by the opposition parties.
'The old stocks and a few vegetables that came on early Thursday by other means were sold in a few moments as the demand was much higher than the supply,' he said, adding that the price had naturally gone up.
Retailer Musa Bepari of Farm Gate said he could buy only half of the vegetables he needed from Kawran Bazaar as there was acute shortage of supply.
On Thursday at Sheworapara kitchen market, okra, bitter gourd and pointed gourd were selling for Tk 40 to Tk 48 per kg, whereas their prices ranged from Tk 30 to Tk 35 on Tuesday.
Papaya was selling for Tk 24 to Tk 26 per kg and pumpkin for Tk 20 to Tk 24 per kg. Both the items cost Tk 15 to Tk 16 per kg two days back.
Source : New Age
