Azizul Haque, a resident of Mirpur-14, went to a nearby kitchen market to buy vegetables yesterday morning.

"Due to the rise in vegetable prices, papaya was the only option I could afford. However, even its price nearly doubled to Tk 30-35 in the past 10 days from Tk 10-15 per kg," Azizul, a day-labourer, told The Daily Star.

"Prices of most vegetables are now more than Tk 100 per kg. We cannot even afford vegetables any more. My children were asking me to bring at least some fresh vegetables, but I could not," he added.

Habibur Rahman, a private firm employee who came to Karwan Bazar Kitchen Market, said the prices of leafy greens have also gone up.

"Seeing the high prices of vegetables, I was thinking of buying leafy greens. But a bundle of red amaranth is being sold at Tk 40, which was earlier Tk 20."

Amanullah, owner of a roadside hotel in Tejgaon Industrial area, said, "I used to buy low-quality vegetables for my hotel. But the prices of even those have gone up. Although prices of all essentials increased, we cannot increase the prices of meals as most of my customers are day-labourers."

While he used to make some profits before, the current situation is such that he is struggling to put food on the table for his family members, he added.

While people with low to middle incomes are already facing challenges in affording fish and meat due to high prices, the recent vegetable price hike has exacerbated the situation.

Visiting Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur Krishi market, Kochukhet, Shewrapara, Senbag, Mirpur-11 and 14 kitchen markets in the capital on Thursday, these correspondents found that the prices of all vegetables and leafy greens had increased by Tk 20 to Tk 40.

Indian spinach is being sold at Tk 40, spinach at Tk 50, water amaranth at Tk 35, mustard leaf at Tk 40, edible fern at Tk 50, jute leaves at Tk 30, taro stems at Tk 30, radish leaves at Tk 35, pumpkin leaves at Tk 40, sweet gourd at 45, and stem amaranth at Tk 40.

Also, brinjal is being sold at Tk 120-130, up from Tk 80; hyacinth bean at Tk 240, up from Tk 200; pointed gourd at Tk 80, up from Tk 60; string beans at Tk 120, up from Tk 80; snake gourd at Tk 100, up from Tk 80; ribbed gourd at Tk 80, up from Tk 60; sponge gourd at Tk 100, up from Tk 70; bitter gourd at Tk 100, up from Tk 70; lady's finger at Tk 80, up from Tk 60; pair of plantains at Tk 20, up from Tk 10; pumpkin at Tk 60, up from Tk 40; sweet gourd at Tk 60, up from Tk 35; and spiny gourd at Tk 90, up from Tk 70.

Babul Miah, a trader at Kochukhet Kitchen Market, said, "Prices of vegetables are usually a bit high at this time of each year. But the rise in price this year has been significant due to the recent heavy rains, which damaged vegetables across the country."

People are now reducing the consumption of vegetables due to the higher prices, he added.