Suffering of people from low and middle-income groups increased, as hartal-induced interruption in supply chain caused prices of essentials to rocket.
Supply of goods to the capital from different parts of the country has thinned significantly because of the hartal.
“[There was] A shortage of vegetable and fish in the markets because the hartal was hampering transportation,” said Solaiman Ali, a trader at the capital’s Karwan Bazar on Monday.
The number of Dhaka-bound trucks, loaded with vegetables and other kitchen items, had dwindled a night before the hartal, fearing arson attacks and vandalism, said wholesaler Sohrab Hossain.
Around 300-400 trucks usually come to Karwan Bazar daily, but the number has fallen to 60, he added.
The shortage has resulted rising prices, especially of vegetables, which have seen a hike of Tk5-10 per kg.
On Monday, potatoes were sold at Tk20-22 per kg, green chilies at Tk100-120, patal at Tk30-40, eggplants at Tk50-60 and tomatoes at Tk100-120.
Anjuman Ara, a regular buyer at the Mohammapur kitchen market, said: “Each hartal is resulting in steeper price s, ultimately making people suffer.” Fish traders said frequent hartals have been having adverse impacts on prices.
Cultured pangash, popular choice for low-income groups, was sold for Tk120-170, ruhi at Tk250-300, tilapia at Tk130-150, katla at Tk240-300 and small fish like mola and others for Tk400-600 per kg.
The price of rice, especially the coarse one, has also faced a Tk2-3 hike per kg.
“We are selling coarse rice at the rate of Tk36 per kg, while it was Tk35 last week,” said Md Jakir, a retailer at the city’s Rampura area.
However, the Department of Agricultural Marketing said the price of coarse rice in the city was between Tk 33-35 per kg at retailers’ level.
