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The prices of some vegetables increased as much as Tk 20 per kg in Dhaka’s kitchen markets since Friday when transporters went on a countrywide indefinite strike protesting against the fuel cost hike.
On Sunday, most vegetables were being sold at higher prices compared to last week. Traders blamed the supply crunch caused by the transport strike for the price hike as consumers said the rising costs were making their lives difficult.
In the kitchen markets, a kg of bean cost Tk 130-140, green chillies Tk 120-130, tomato Tk 160, brinjal Tk 95-100, ladies finger Tk 60-70, cauliflower Tk 50-60 per piece and bottle gourds Tk 60-70 depending on their sizes.
Last week, a kg bean cost Tk 110-120, green chillies Tk 100-120, tomato Tk 150-155, brinjal Tk 80-100, ladies finger Tk 55-60, and cauliflower Tk 40-50 per piece in the kitchen markets.
The government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 per litre last week. The move caught everyone unawares and prompted an indefinite strike by owners of passenger and cargo vehicles. Bus owners withdrew their strike on Sunday after the government raised fare but there has been no announcement from the cargo vehicle owners. A prolonged transport strike will push up the prices of essential commodities further.
Meanwhile, rice traders said that the miniket brand was being sold at Tk 56-58 per kg, Atash variety Tk 47-48, Najir Shail brand Tk 62-68 and Chinigura variety Tk 80-88.
A kg of broiler chicken cost Tk 165-170 and sonalika variety Tk 285-290 in various kitchen markets in the capital.
Onion prices have remained stable. A kilogram of local variety was being sold at Tk 60-65 while the Indian variety cost Tk 48-50 at several kitchen markets on Sunday.
On November 3, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) started truck sales of essential items. Besides, TCB raised soybean oil and lentil prices.
On October 19, the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association raised the price of soybean oil by Tk 7 per litre and palm oil by Tk 3 per litre.
Besides, per litre non-bottled soybean oil currently costs Tk 136, five-litre bottled soybean oil Tk 760, and per litre palm oil Tk 118.
On September 14, the government withdrew import duties on onion and reduced that on sugar by 10 per cent to stabilise the prices of the two essential commodities in the local market. On September 9, the government fixed new prices of packaged and non-packaged sugar for the first time.
The maximum retail price of per kg non-packaged sugar was set at Tk 74, which was Tk 80 in the market, and that of packaged sugar at Tk 75, which was Tk 85.
