With roughly one and a half months remaining until Ramadan, prices of meat and eggs are rising, while fish, vegetables, and other daily necessities remain stable, according to market observations in the capital.
Traders attribute the egg price increase to low supply, while rising beef prices are being blamed on the non-arrival of Indian cattle. No comment was available on the increase in chicken prices.
A market survey on Friday at Dhaka’s Ray Saheb Bazar, Rathkhola Mor, and Narinda Goalghat Lane revealed that eggs sold at Tk110 last week are now priced at Tk120, marking a Tk10 increase in a week. Several traders in Old Dhaka said limited availability is driving the price hike. Farmed chicken prices have also risen by Tk20 to Tk30 over the same period.
Beef prices have climbed to Tk800 per kilogram, up from Tk750 two days ago. “Prices are rising because Indian cattle are not coming through the border. There are fewer Bangladeshi cattle. To reduce prices, relations with India need to improve,” said Jalal, a meat seller at Ray Saheb Bazar.
A customer bargaining over meat said, “I rarely buy meat because prices are already high. Today is Friday, so I thought I would buy some, but the price has gone up Tk50 to Tk100 per kilogram. Prices in this country only go up, they never come down.”
Fish prices remain unchanged. Large rohu fish are selling at Tk400 per kilogram, pangas at Tk180 to Tk200, and hybrid koi at Tk180 to Tk200. Indigenous fish remain expensive, with shoal fish at Tk1,200kg and indigenous koi at Tk700 to Tk800kg. Traders said farmed fish prices have dropped Tk20 to Tk50 per kg.
Vegetable prices also remain stable. Winter vegetables and other varieties are being sold at previous rates due to abundant supply. Prices in local markets and by quality vary: beans Tk30–45, radish Tk30–35, brinjal Tk40–60, cauliflower and cabbage Tk20–30, turnip and papaya Tk30–40, and broccoli Tk40–50. Some off-season vegetables are priced at Tk70–80. Pointed gourd, bitter gourd, okra, and tomatoes are available at stable rates.
Essential grocery items are also steady. Bottled soybean oil sells at Tk198 per liter, loose soybean oil at Tk190, packaged ghee Tk1,450–1,550, loose ghee Tk1,250, packaged sugar Tk110, loose sugar Tk95, and two-kilogram packets of refined flour and atta Tk130 and Tk120 respectively. Loose mustard oil is Tk220 per liter.
Spices are priced as follows: cardamom Tk4,750, cinnamon Tk500, cloves Tk1,280, white pepper Tk1,350, and black pepper Tk1,180 per kilogram.
Rice and pulses are stable: packaged polao rice Tk155 per kilogram, loose polao rice Tk90–130, small lentils Tk155, coarse lentils Tk90, large mung lentils Tk140, small mung lentils Tk170, khesari lentils Tk100, chickpea lentils Tk115, chickpeas Tk110, and mashkalai lentils Tk180 per kilogram.
