Rice prices, especially the coarse variety, in the capital's kitchen markets remained out of consumers' reach despite a booming market during peak Aman-harvesting season.
Most coarse varieties sold at Tk54-56 a kg, medium Tk64-65 and non-branded finer at Tk78-92 a kg -- a Tk3-5- hike in the past seven days, according to groceries and kitchen markets.
Branded finer rice of Brac (Aarong), Pran, ACI, Square, City Group and others were selling at previous highs of Tk84-98 a kilogram.
Prices of cooking oil, bakery items and vegetables also showed a hike in a week, hurting the poor and the lower-middle-class who are suffering from inflation.
The price of poultry and eggs among a few other protein items showed a slight decline amid low presence of customers, said traders.
Md Monir Hussain, a wholesaler at Mohammadpur kitchen market, said a little volume of Guti-Swarna had entered the market two days earlier from Dinajpur but cost was much higher considering any harvesting season --Tk48.75-Tk49 a kg.
Medium-quality Swarna-5, finer varieties BRRI-34, Shampa Katari (sold as Najirshail) were yet to come to the market, he said.
"Boro season's finer rice like Jeera or Miniket was being supplied by millers at Tk66-70 a kg, depending on quality, and we are selling it to retailers at Tk 67-71 a kg," he added.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain says the government's dilly-dallying in making import easier has brought devastation for the consumers.
When a US dollar purchase rate has surpassed Tk110 and global rice prices have increased 6-8% compared to a year back, there is still above 15% import duty on rice, he also said.
He says the private sector could import only 220,000 tonnes when they were permitted to bring 1.4 million tonnes, which had no impact on the market.
He urged the government to make it a zero tariff to bring rice from anywhere in the world for a certain period of time.
"Market monitoring should also be stricter across the country to prevent any artificial price hike."
Though market-insiders are skeptical, the agriculture ministry is expecting 16.3 million tonnes of rice output from 5.9 million hectares of land in the ongoing Aman harvest.
Harvest had been completed at 23% till November 17.
The Aman season comprises 38% of the overall supply of rice.