Most vegetables in Dhaka’s kitchen markets are selling above Tk80 per kilogram, while chicken and fish prices remain high, leaving buyers with little relief despite minor reductions in some items.
A visit to the Mirpur 1 kitchen market on Friday revealed that although prices of certain vegetables have fallen compared to last week, the overall situation has not improved significantly.
Buyers Still Struggling
Shoppers say the slight drops are insufficient to ease their burden. While vendors claim prices have decreased, buyers insist they remain high.
On Friday, Indian tomatoes were selling at Tk120–130 per kg, local carrots Tk80, Chinese carrots Tk100, long eggplants Tk80, white round eggplants Tk100, black round eggplants Tk140–160, beans Tk150–160, local cucumbers Tk80, bitter gourds Tk80, teasel gourds Tk80, okra Tk80–100, pointed gourds Tk70–120, snake gourds Tk70, sponges Tk70–80, ridge gourds Tk80–100, yardlong beans Tk80–100, taro stems Tk80, radish Tk80, taro root Tk60, green chilies Tk160–200, coriander leaves Tk200–400, hybrid cucumbers Tk60, papaya Tk30–40, and sweet pumpkins Tk50–60 per kg. Bottle gourds were Tk70–80 each, ash gourds Tk70–80 each, bananas Tk40–50 per four pieces, and lemons Tk20–40 per four pieces.
Compared to last week, prices fell for Indian tomatoes (Tk20–30), Chinese carrots (Tk20), long eggplants (Tk20), black round eggplants (Tk10), local cucumbers (Tk20), bitter gourds (Tk20), teasel gourds (Tk20), okra (Tk20), snake gourds (Tk10), sponges (Tk20), hybrid cucumbers (Tk20), and bottle gourds (Tk20–30 each). Prices of other vegetables remained unchanged.
Vendor Md Shah Alam said, “All vegetable prices have fallen today compared to last week. Prices may fall further in the coming days as the season changes.”
But buyers like Sajjad Hossain and Amjad Hossain said the reductions are negligible. “Prices are still mostly above Tk80. Vegetables, fish, and meat are all costly. My salary is limited, but expenses keep rising,” Amjad said.
Potato and Onion Prices Stable
Potato and onion prices remained largely unchanged. Red and white potatoes were Tk25 per kg, while Bogura potatoes rose slightly to Tk35–40. Cross-variety onions were Tk75–80 per kg, with smaller ones at Tk75 and larger ones at Tk80. Local onions were Tk80, while garlic, ginger, and other condiments saw minor changes.
Fish and Meat Remain Expensive
Fish and meat prices are still high. Ilish was selling at Tk700–2,400 per kg, ruhi Tk350–600, katla Tk350–700, kalibaush Tk500–800, prawns Tk800–1,400, and other fish varieties ranged from Tk250 to Tk1,400 per kg.
Beef was Tk780 per kg, mutton Tk1,200, broiler chicken Tk180–190, cockerel chicken Tk300, layer chicken Tk290–295, and local chicken Tk550 per kg. A dozen red eggs sold for Tk120, white eggs Tk115–120, and duck eggs Tk200–210.
Broiler chicken rose by Tk7–10 per kg, cockerel chicken by Tk5, while layer chicken fell by Tk25 and local chicken by Tk20. Egg prices also saw slight reductions.
Grocery Prices Shift Slightly
Packaged two-kg flour rose by Tk10, black pepper by Tk80 per kg, while khesari lentils fell by Tk20 per kg, chickpeas by Tk5, and loose sugar by Tk5. Other staples remained mostly unchanged.
