Prices of several kitchen items, including fish, meat and rice have been soaring up in Chittagong city due to the collapse of the supply chain caused by the BNP’s indefinite blockade enforced across the country.
While visiting the city’s major kitchen markets, including Chowmuhony, Kazir Dewri and Riazuddin Bazar yesterday morning, prices of various species of fish were found up compared to the days before the blockade.
Ruhi fish, Katla, Rupchanda fishes were being sold at Tk180 to 160, Tk180 to 150, Tk280 to 650 per kg respectively at Karnaphuli CDA market yesterday. The prices were up by Tk 20 to Tk 50 from last week.
Fish trader Md Rubel told the Dhaka Tribune that fish-laden trucks had stopped coming into the city from outside due to the blockade, leaving the prices to go up unusually.
The same scenario was found at Kazir Dewri kitchen market in the city.
Md Belal Hossen, a service holder of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), told the Dhaka Tribune that despite ample supply of fish, the fish traders had raised the prices in the name of blockade.
Local chicken was being sold at Tk320 to 350 per kg while the broiler chicken was being sold at Tk160 to 170 at Karnaphuli market.
“Local chicken was sold at Tk 300 last week while it has gone up by Tk20 this week” Mohammed Khokon, an employee of C & F agency, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Prices of the vegetable items have however come under control due to adequate supply, said kitchen market traders.
At the markets, the bottle-gourd was being sold at Tk20 per kg, radish at Tk15 to 10, bean at Tk25 to 40, eggplant at Tk20 to 25, green cabbage at Tk15 to 20, cauliflower at Tk20, green chili at Tk30, and tomato atTk 30 to 40.
CDA Karnaphuli Market vegetable trader Md Anwar Hossain said most vegetable items come in from Sitakunda, Mirsarai and Hathazari upazilas of Chittagong and so the blockade could not impact on the prices of the items.