The prices of almost all essential commodities witnessed a sharp rise on the kitchen markets in the capital Dhaka over the week ending Friday.
Consumers expressed their anger over the soaring prices of essential commodities and blamed ineffective government monitoring of the market.
The prices of vegetables and eggs increased excessively on the kitchen markets in past one week.
Retailers blamed wholesalers for increasing the price of daily kitchen essentials.
According to the statistics of the Department of Agricultural Marketing, almost all the agricultural commodities were retailing at prices higher than their logical prices on the city markets.
The prices of all the vegetables increased abnormally on the city markets over the week.
Aubergine sold for Tk 70-100 a kilogram, papaya for Tk 90鈥�100 a kilogram, bitter gourd for Tk 70-80 a kilogram, cucumber for Tk 50鈥�60 a kilogram, carrot for Tk 60鈥�70 a kilogram and gourd for Tk 60鈥�70 a kilogram on Friday.
The price of green chilies almost doubled over the week and the item sold for Tk 120-140 a kilogram in the city on Friday.
Mohammad Joni, a small business owner at Adabor area in the city, said that the recent price hike of vegetables was unacceptable.
He said that some of the vegetables, including aubergine and papaya, were selling at Tk 20-25 a kilogram at farm level whereas the prices of the items soared to nearly Tk 100 a kilogram in Dhaka.聽
Joni blamed ineffective market monitoring policy for the unusual price hike of essential commodities.
The price of eggs increased by Tk 4-6 a hali (four pieces) in past one week and the items sold for Tk 50-52 a hali in the city on Friday.
Sumon Hawlader, president of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association, said that wholesale businesses at Tejgaon in Dhaka were manipulating the prices of eggs.
He said that, a few days ago, the price of eggs decreased across the country and then the businesses stored large quantities of eggs in a number of cold storages.
Now, the wholesalers have been increasing the price of eggs across the country through SMS, Sumon said.
The price of potato also increased on the kitchen markets in Dhaka over the week and the item sold for Tk 55-60 a kilogram on Friday.
The price of local variety of onion has been increasing almost every day in past one week and the item sold for Tk 70-80 a kilogram while the imported item sold for Tk 80-90 a kilogram on Friday.
The price of beef also remained high and the item sold for Tk 760-780 a kilogram on Friday.
Mutton sold for Tk 1,000鈥�1,100 a kilogram on Friday.
The price of ginger remained high and imported ginger sold for Tk 220-280 a kilogram while its local variety sold for Tk 400-450 a kilogram.
The price of garlic also increased by Tk 20-50 a kilogram in past one week on the kitchen markets in Dhaka and the imported item sold for Tk 220鈥�250 a kilogram while its local variety retailed at Tk 200鈥�220 a kilogram on Friday.
