The price of green chilli increased while the prices of vegetables remained high in the retail market over the past week.
The prices of other essential commodities including sugar and edible oils have remained unchanged during the period.
Shoppers at the Palashi Bazar and Karwan Bazar said they had to cut down their budgets for the daily livelihood because of the exorbitant hike in prices of essential commodities including vegetables since Ramadan began.
On Friday, green chilli's retail price was Tk 100 per kilogram, a hike of Tk 20 per kg over the last week at Karwan Bazar and Palashi Bazar.
Vegetable vendors said the price of chilli increased a lot due to supply shortage created by the relentless rainfall during the last week.
'The price of green chilli went up to Tk 150 a day before, but it came down to Tk 100 per kg on the day,' said Fazlur Rahman, a greengrocer at Karwan Bazar.
The day saw long aubergine being retailed at Tk 40 to Tk 50 per kg, local cucumber at Tk 50 per kg and high breed variety of cucumber at Tk 30 per kg.
Tomato was being sold on the day at Tk 70 to Tk 80 per kg, bitter gourd (karolla) at Tk 40-50 per kg, snake gourd (chichinga) at Tk 35 per kg, ridge gourd (jhingaa) at Tk 40 per kg, okra at Tk 40 a kg, teasle gourd (kakrol) at Tk 30 per kg, pointed gourd (patol) at Tk 30 a kg, potato at Tk 16 and papaya at Tk 15 per kg in Palashi and Karwan Bazar.
Lemon was sold at Tk 10- to Tk l5 a pair while coriander leaf was being retailed at Tk 300 per kg.
Greengrocers claimed although the price of some vegetables used in Iftar preparations had increased with the advent of Ramadan while prices of other vegetables did not mark any significant rise.
The retailers at Karwan Bazar kitchen market on Friday claimed that they were selling the commodities at the rates written on the chart displayed in front of their shops.
Although the retailers were selling sugar, soya bean oil, and palm oil at the set rates, the prices of other commodities varied a lot from shop to shop.
On Friday, sugar was being sold at the government-set price of Tk 65 per kg, loose soya bean oil at Tk 109 per litre, and loose super palm oil at Tk 99 per litre at Hatirpul market and Karwan Bazar.
Grocers said that they were able to sell sugar and edible oil at the government-set price as the supply was adequate in the last few days.
They suggested strict surveillance by the authorities concerned to thwart any attempt by the refiners and wholesalers to create an artificial crisis of sugar.
As on Friday, the price of local onion was being sold at Tk 38 to Tk 45 per kg while imported onion was being retailed at Tk 34 to Tk 36 per kg.
Australian chickpea was being retailed on Friday at Tk 65 to Tk 70 per kg and Myanmar chickpea at Tk 85 to Tk 90, showing no change in the week.
On Friday at Karwan Bazar, the retail price of broiler ranged between Tk 135 and Tk 140 per kg, beef of the local cow was sold at Tk 270 per kg while that of imported cow at Tk 250 per kg.
The price of coarse rice was between Tk 32 and Tk 38, medium-grade rice between Tk 38 and Tk 44, fine varieties of rice between Tk 44 and Tk 54, while the price of loose flour was ranged between Tk 24 and Tk 32.
The retail price of local variety red lentil was
Tk 90 to Tk 95 per kg
and the Nepali variety at
Tk 80 to Tk 90.
Source : New Age
