As part of reining in the surging prices of onion, Chittagong district administration, commerce ministry and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection conducted drives at different wholesale and retail markets in Chittagong city on Wednesday and Thursday.
Yesterday, a mobile court led by Executive Magistrate of Chittagong Forkan Elahi Anupam fined six retailers Tk one lakh in total for selling onion at higher prices.
The errant retailers are owners of Illius Store of Kazir Dewri market, Bhai Bhai Departmental Store of the same market, Ms Jalal Store of Karnaphuli Market, Makka Store of the same market, Mabia Store of No 2 Gate and Ma Baba Store of Haque Market at Bahaddarhat.
On Wednesday, another mobile court fined a wholesaler of Khatunganj market Tk 20,000 for selling onion at exorbitant prices.
The trader is the proprietor of Mahin Enterprise.
Executive Magistrate Towhidul Islam led the mobile court drive on the day at Khatunganj Market, one of the largest commodity hubs of the country.
During the drives, the mobile court discovered that a number of wholesalers at Khatunganj market were selling onions at Tk 70-80 per kg. However, the consignments of the onion were imported from Egypt and China at Tk 29 and Tk 27 per kg respectively.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Towhidul Islam said they conducted the drives to contain the runaway prices of onion.
