Prices of essentials continue to rise in Dhaka just ahead of Ramadan, making it difficult for lower income people and the middle class to make ends meet.
This year, the market has been severely unstable for the last three months and the government is yet to be successful in its attempts to bring prices under control.
Essential products such as soybean oil, red lentils, and paijam rice have already seen price hikes in recent times, and now the prices of brinjal, chickpeas, chilli, and cucumber have shot up over the past week.
Visiting the Town Hall and Krishi Market kitchen markets in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur, this correspondent found that the prices of almost all vegetables had increased by Tk20-30 per kilogram.
Eggplants were being sold at Tk80-100 per kg, as compared to Tk50-60 last week. Cucumber was being sold at Tk60-70 per kg, bitter gourd at Tk 60-70, pumpkins at Tk60-70, and chili at Tk 40-50 per kg.
According to retailers, prices may shoot up even more in the next couple of days.
Matbar Ali, a vegetable seller at Town Hall market, said: “Every year, prices increase ahead of Ramadan. But this time, the market is already so high that the difference is not much. Still, some essential products of Ramadan have increased due to public demand. Products are arriving less than demand.”
He added that several consumers were buying in bulk, which was aggravating shortages.
Mehedi Hasan, an employee of a private company, said: “I came to the market as seheri starts from tonight, but the price of everything is high. We are helpless, children are waiting at home so we still have to buy.”
The government previously promised to bring prices under control ahead of Ramadan, with Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi even warning of stern action against those who were destabilizing the market. However, the warnings are yet to have any visible impact.
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Prices in the fish market have not increased significantly yet. At the Krishi Market in the Ring Road area, it was seen that the prices of some fish had gone up and of some others remaining unchanged.
Rui fish was being sold at Tk300-320 per kg depending on size, as compared to Tk280-280 a few weeks earlier. Kalibaush was being sold at Tk260 per kg, as compared to Tk240-250 yesterday. Grass carp was being sold at Tk230-280 per kg, and Koi fish (farm) at Tk 200 per kg.
Large Hilsa fish were being sold at Tk1000-1200, and medium sized ones at Tk500. The prices of Rui and Katal fish have gone up by an average of Tk30-40.
Fish trader Shamim Hayder said the rise in prices of some fish was normal. "Prices go up a bit before Ramadan, as everyone wants to eat good things."
The spice market appears stable. Ginger was being sold at Tk 100 per kg, garlic (China) at Tk130 and local at Tk60.
The price of onions has stayed the same as last month at Tk30 per kg. The price of other spices was also the same as before.
The edible oil market has not yet fully stabilized. The price of bottled soybean oil was Tk160-165, whereas open soybean oil was being sold at Tk170-180.
The price of chicken has been stable for a while now after the price skyrocketed to Tk 250-350 per kg a few months ago.
Broiler chickens were being sold at Tk160, while golden chickens were being sold at Tk300-330.
Meanwhile, the price of rice was also the same as before. Fine rice was being sold at Tk65-70 per kg, and coarse rice at Tk45-50. Lentils were being sold at Tk130 per kg and coarse pulses at Tk100 per kg.
Chhola was being sold at Tk75-80 per kg, as compared to Tk60-65 in the previous week.
Ghulam Rahman, president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), told Dhaka Tribune: “Everyone's back is against the wall. After market analysis, we see that this year this price hasn’t increased before Ramadan abruptly, because the price was already astronomically high.
“Every year we compare our market with the markets of other Islamic countries, but we see no initiative from the government. The income of ordinary people is not increasing in comparison to the price. There is no other way but to unite against this injustice,” he added.