Veggie prices soar again in Ctg as Ramadan starts

Prices of various vegetables, used for preparing iftar items, are being sold at a much higher rate at the retail markets in Chittagong city compared to the prices the traders buy it for from the wholesale markets, making it extremely difficult for the low-income and lower-middle class people to cope with the price hike.

Many shoppers were seen expressing their exasperation yesterday at the Kazir Dewry Kitchen Market, Karnaphuli Complex Kitchen Market, Reazuddin Bazar Kitchen Market and Reazuddin Bazar Wholesale Market.

Sazia Rahman, a housewife, came to buy some vegetables around noon at Kazir Dewry. “All the items were hiked up,” she said, adding, “We live on limited income, we can't afford to spend so much.”

“What are we going to do now?” said Mamunur Rashid, a rickshaw-puller, at Karnaphuli Complex, adding that if such trends continue it will be difficult for them to survive. 

On Saturday, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched a campaign of selling essential commodities at subsidised prices for the low-income group during Ramadan.

But locals alleged that not everyone could go to the designated spots to buy the items and not to mention it was being sold within a specific timeframe. So, they had to go to these retail markets.

Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Mesbah Uddin on Wednesday at a views-exchange meeting with business leaders, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute and Consumers Association of Bangladesh, warned of taking stern actions if anyone tried to unstable the market by hiking the prices of daily essentials during Ramadan.

But, “the vegetables prices are high at the wholesale market,” claimed Mohammad Sakhawat, a retailer at Kazir Dewry Kitchen Market.

Contacted, Omar Azam, proprietor of Mohammadi Arat (a vegetable warehouse) at Reazuddin Bazar, said there was enough supply of vegetables in the market and claimed that they have not increased the prices. 

Meanwhile, CDA, CCCI and CAB started monitoring the prices of daily essentials at different markets. They yesterday raided Reazuddin Bazar Kitchen Market and Kazir Dewry Kitchen Market and sentenced different jail terms to three traders for hiking the price, said Executive Magistrate Tahmilur Rahman. The team also fined four other traders Tk 50,000 for various irregularities.