The price of rice kept increasing on Tuesday, despite the government's anti-hoarding drive in full effect.
The price of coarse rice increased further by Tk2-4 per kg in the city markets to hit a maximum of Tk53 a kg on the day, according to groceries.
The medium variety of BRRI-28 hit Tk60 a kg while regular finer varieties of Miniket, Najirshail and parboiled Banglamoti retailed at Tk70-85 a kg.
Branded ones marketed by Pran, ACI, Square, Aarong, BEOL and others cost Tk82-89 a kg.
If the trend continued, the rice price might reach the level of 2017 when it surged to an all time high, a grocer at Mohammadpur feared, adding that the price of coarse rice went up to Tk57 a kg then.
He also said that the prices started increasing from the third week of April this year and are still continuing despite the fact that it is peak Boro harvesting season.
But the level of hike in the last one week by Tk6-8 a kg is adding concerns among the consumers as well as the traders. High price at the wholesale means less profit for the retailers despite putting more money on the item, he added.
The grocery shop owner, his employer, may procure a smaller quantity of rice than normal, fearing that it would be tough to sell a huge quantity at such high rates, he added.
Wholesale prices further increased by Tk3-4 a kg in the city as the seasonal and last season coarse rice was traded at Tk46-50, medium Tk54-55 and finer Tk64-75 a kg on the day, according to the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) and wholesale markets in the city.
The Food Ministry on Tuesday launched drives against illegal stockpiling of paddy and rice amid skyrocketing prices of the staple in the market.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) conducted a drive at the city's Mohammadpur Krishi Market wholesale on the same day.
Most of the shops were also found closed there, said DNCRP officials.
The decision on the drive was taken by the food ministry at a meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder.
Earlier on Monday, the prime minister had instructed the officials concerned to take strict action against those involved in illegal hoarding.
She also directed the Commerce, Food and Agriculture Ministers and their secretaries to take immediate steps to find out the reasons behind such price hikes through regular monitoring and supervisions.