Crackdown looms if soyabean oil supply in Chattogram does not stabilise

Each litre of open soyabean oil is priced at Tk 155 at wholesale and Tk 160 at retail

The price of unbottled soyabean oil has been fixed in Chattogram for the next month.

But if the cooking oil is not supplied to the market within two days, a monitoring drive will be launched.

The decisions were made at a special task force committee meeting organised by the Chattogram District Administration on Tuesday to keep the prices of essential commodities stable.

In the meeting, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain said: "Unbottled soyabean oil will be sold at Tk 160 at the retail level.

“Action will be taken if complaints are received about overpricing. Importers will sell at Tk 153, and wholesalers in Khatunganj will sell at Tk 155.”

According to the decision, the new price of soyabean oil will be effective in the entire Chattogram district until Apr 10.

For the past month, there has been a shortage of bottled soyabean oil in the Chattogram market.

The crisis has taken a severe shape in the week leading up to Ramadan, with soyabean oil now selling for at least Tk 180 per litre at the retail level.

At Tuesday's meeting, Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom said: "Our position is clear, if the oil supply in Chattogram is not normal within two days, we will conduct a 24-hour drive at the warehouse level.

“A special task force committee will take action against those selling above the fixed price.”

At the start of the meeting, representatives from the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, retailers, wholesalers, and consumers discussed the supply and price situation of edible oil during Ramadan.

It was later unanimously decided to set the maximum retail price of soyabean oil at Tk 160 per litre.

The meeting also decided regular drives by the district administration and city corporation will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the set price for soyabean oil.

Earlier on Monday, the mayor and deputy commissioner were unable to find any bottled soyabean oil during an inspection at Khatunganj, the largest wholesale market in Chattogram.

As a result, a special task force meeting was held on Tuesday.