Sugar scarcity haunts Dhaka

A higher purchase rate and supply shortage has left Dhaka markets without sugar for at least the last two days.   

Kitchen markets, retail shops and even wholesale shops in the capital have stopped selling the essential commodity, according to traders and consumers.

Meanwhile, traders said they halted the sale as they had to purchase sugar at much higher prices than the selling prices fixed by the government. 

“The government has fixed the retail price of sugar at Tk 90 per kg and the price of packaged sugar at Tk 95. But we purchased the sugar more than the fixed price,” said a shopkeeper seeking anonymity.

“Selling sugar at a higher price means we will be fined by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP). Hence, no one is selling,” he added.

A tight supply from mills have further exacerbated the crisis. 

“We are not getting enough sugar from mills,” said Mohiuddin, owner of Bengal Oil, a wholesale sugar shop in the capital’s largest kitchen market in Karwan Bazar.

“Millers are saying that they are not able to produce enough sugar due to load shedding and gas crisis,” he said.

Mohiuddin also said, “Prices of sugar are surging everywhere including the mills as the demand has grown higher than the supply. Our wholesale price is around Tk101 per kg, but with other additional expenses taken into account, the price comes to Tk102 per kg,” he added.

While visiting Karwan Bazar on Friday, DNCRP Assistant Director Magfur Rahman said, “We are seeing poor supply of sugar in the market. But I cannot say why the supply is short. I will report the matter to the superior officer.”

The DNCRP is conducting mobile courts in various sugar mills to keep the market stable, he said, hoping that the supply of sugar will return to normal soon.

Abul Hasem, a wholesale sugar seller in Old Dhaka’s Moulvibazar, blamed the supply crunch on the ongoing daily power outage and the energy crisis. He said the power rationing initiatives of the government is affecting the production in mills across the country, while opportunities are exploiting the situation to make extravagant profit.

“Those who have sugar, are selling it at a slightly higher price,” he said. “However, no one can sell sugar below Tk100 per kg as the purchasing price is high.”