A mobile court of the Barisal district administration conducted a raid on Piyaj Patty and the surrounding areas of Port Road in Barisal city on Monday afternoon, forcing the sale of onions at a fair retail price of Tk105 per kg.
At that time, Kamrul Islam, the owner of Islamia Traders, a wholesale onion dealer on Port Road, acknowledged that he was compelled to sell onions at the price of Tk105.
Executive Magistrate Kamrunnahar Tamanna said that the traders were selling onions bought at a wholesale price of Tk95 to a retail price of Tk180. Later, without imposing a fine, they were forced to sell their onions at the fair price of Tk105 per kg.
After an investigation, it was found that onions were being sold at retail prices ranging from Tk180 to Tk220 in different markets in Barisal City. Upon hearing the allegations, the district administration conducted the raid, forcing the sellers to sell onions at Tk105.
Hundreds of people were seen thronging to buy onions after the drive.
On the other hand, 11 onion traders have been fined Tk35,000 in Gournadi upazila under the Barisal district for selling onions at a high price and not having a price list. Eight businessmen were fined Tk27,000 in a raid led by Apurba Adhikari, deputy director of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate, from morning until noon on Monday.
Meanwhile, three onion traders in Mahilara Union of Gournadi were fined a total of Tk8,000 by a mobile court led by the assistant commissioner (land) of the upazila in the same afternoon.