Commodities dearer

The recent shutdown and political unrest over a polls-time government have impacted the commodity prices.

Traders said, though prices of several commodities including rice, lentil, sugar and edible oil were stable for last several weeks, they started rising following the opposition-sponsored Oct 27-29 nationwide general strike.

They said prices of different varieties of rice shot up by Tk 3-5 per kg, lentil by Tk 10, sugar by Tk 3, and edible oil by Tk 3-4 in a week.

On Friday, local variety of lentil sold at Tk 100-110 and sugar at Tk 58 a kg in different markets in the capital.

Unpacked soybean oil was selling at Tk 100-106 per litre and bottled variety at Tk 117-120, while a five-litre bottle sold at Tk 565.

At the retail level, onion, green chilli and tomato were selling at Tk 100 per kg, bean at Tk 75-80, potato at Tk 16 and radish at Tk 40. A standard-size cauliflower or cabbage sold at Tk 25-30.

Wholesaler Kamal Hossain at Karwan Bazar said, “Commodities couldn’t reach Dhaka because of the three-day strike last week. Products of many traders have rotted. As a result, there is a supply shortfall and prices are up.”

Truck hiring charges have also gone up making commodities dearer, he added.

Another wholesaler, Siddiqur Rahman, said some traders were stocking rice fearing further political unrest.

Consumers have become angry over this commodity price spiral.

Another trader Emdadul Haq said, “Businessmen of the country always try to find excuses for raising prices. So it’s natural that prices will go up in such an unstable political situation.”

He believes that the government has no control over the market.