Despite promises of keeping prices under control during the Ramadan, prices of essentials especially vegetables, culinary herbs and spices soared in the kitchen markets of Sylhet.
With the start of the holy month, retail prices of most of the items nearly doubled – trebled in some cases – although there are plenty of supplies to make the necessary demand-supply balance at the market.
During a visit to one of the busiest marketplaces in the city, Bondor Bazar, it was found that one kilogram of pepper was selling at Tk200, which was Tk70-Tk80 even a few days ago.
Coriander is selling at Tk180-Tk200 per kg, which previously came by Tk60-Tk70. Onion is selling at Tk45 per kg, which was Tk20 last week.
The price of ginger has risen from Tk70 to Tk100, and garlic is selling at Tk70. Carrot is selling at Tk60, which was Tk35 previously. The price of cucumber has also doubled.
On the other hand, the price of tomato has upped from last week’s Tk75 to Tk120 per kg. One bundle of spinach is selling at Tk20, which was Tk10 before; aubergine is selling at Tk40 up from Tk25, raw papaya selling at Tk30 up from Tk20, and carrot at Tk60 up from Tk30.
The prices of pulse, chickpea, date and beef have also increased.
After the Sylhet City Corporation’s meeting with the businessmen on Monday, in which the latter promised to abstain from profiteering during the Ramadan, consumers half-expected the market to remain stable.
Earlier, during another meeting with the district administration organised by the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, businessmen promised to keep prices under control.
But far from being stable, retail markets started showing signs of volatility even before the start of Ramadan, with the prices of most of the essentials witnessing a sharp increase.
Farman Miah, a vegetable seller at Bondor Bazar, said he sold pepper at Tk150 per kg on Tuesday morning and started selling the same at Tk200 from the night following.
He, however, refused to specify the reasons behind the sudden price jump, other than saying, in a cryptic manner, that it could be because of “a wholesale price rise”.
Hamid Miah, another seller, said retail sales of essentials are directly influenced by the wholesale market prices. “Any sort of fluctuation in the wholesale price has a direct effect on the retail price too,” he added.
Consumers, however, are frustrated that no price-cutting initiatives of the government are coming to a pass.
Sayera Begum, a primary schoolteacher who was shopping at the Amborkhana market, told the Dhaka Tribune that price hike has become “a kind of tradition” for Ramadan.
“Businessmen increase prices without any reason and maximise their profits, at the expense of general people and especially those in the low-income rank,” she said.
TCB selling commodities in the city
Meanwhile, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has started selling commodities in the city with the help of 40 appointed dealers.
Five of the dealers are selling commodities in the city’s main points by trucks, while the rest 35 are selling in various other places.