Prices of daily necessities continue to soar in the country, with vegetables being no exception. However, there has been a slight dip in vegetable prices on Friday compared to the last two weeks.
While vegetable prices decrease, the costs of potatoes, garlic, onions, and ginger are on the rise. The general public is grappling with the burden of rising commodity prices.
The kitchen market of Mirpur 1 in the capital displayed the current prices of daily essentials on Friday.
In comparison to the previous week, nearly all vegetables are being sold at slightly lower prices in the market. Long eggplants are priced at Tk80, round eggplants at Tk100, cucumbers at Tk60-70, bitter gourd at Tk80, papayas at Tk40, carrots at Tk100-180, radishes at Tk60, tomatoes at Tk120, and sweet pumpkins at Tk40, among others.
Several vegetables have seen price reductions of Tk10-Tk20 compared to the previous week.
However, the price of Indian onions has surged by Tk10 compared to last week, while potatoes have seen a Tk5 increase. The prices of ginger and garlic were already on the rise.
Haider Hossain, a private employee who came to the Mirpur No 1 market, expressed his frustration with the market situation, saying: "There is nothing to say. Who should I tell? What can I say? I can only say that there is no one looking out for us."
Another shopper, Hafizur, said: "I used to buy eggplants for Tk15-20 per kg, but today I have to pay Tk100. When will I be able to buy them at the old price? The cost of everything has risen, including production costs. But Tk100 per kg is not reasonable."
Potato and onion seller Russell explained: "I can buy Indian onions for Tk62. It costs money to import them, and some of it goes to waste. So, I have to sell them for Tk70. I've heard that the cost of importing Indian onions has increased."
In addition to vegetable prices, the prices of various fish have also surged. For instance, Ilish fish is priced at Tk1,400-1,800, Rohu fish at Tk380-450, Katla fish at Tk400-500, Shrimp at Tk1,000-2,000, Kachki fish at Tk500, Tengra fish at Tk700, Koi fish at Tk280-300, and Pabda fish at Tk500.
Rafiqul Islam, a fish buyer, said: "The price of everything is already high. But I can't even think about buying shrimp at Tk2,000 per kilogram. My children love prawns and fish, but how can I afford to feed them at this price?"
Meanwhile, broiler chicken is being sold at Tk166-172, cock at Tk290-300, local chicken at Tk550, and beef at Tk750-800 per kg.
Grocery store prices have remained stable, with bottled soybean oil priced at Tk175 per litre, sugar at Tk135, masoor dal at Tk125, mung dal at Tk120, keshari dal at Tk70, chickpeas at Tk75, and a 2kg packet of flour at Tk140, among others.
