Prices of essentials continue soaring

According to the government agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) prices of flour, edible oil, lentil, pulses, potato, onions, garlic, dried chili, turmeric, ginger, cumin, beef, chicken and eggs have risen again. The prices of these products have gone up from a minimum of one and a half per cent to a maximum of about 38.5 per cent.

In the first week after Eid, the prices of onion, lentil pulses, sugar, flour, eggs and powdered milk were hiked. Wholesalers and retailers say the new price list could be longer. As the Bangladeshi currency—Taka—depreciates against the dollar, the prices of almost all imported consumer goods are expected to rise further.

Along with imported Indian onions, the price of local onions has increased by Tk 10-15 per kg and is being sold at Tk 40-45 per kg. But at the beginning of the week, the price of onion was 30-35 rupees per kg. The price of pulses has also gone up in the last two days. At different markets in the capital, the price of coarse lentil pulses has increased by Tk 5 per kg and is being sold at Tk 110 per kg. And the fine lentils now cost Tk 130 per kg while the price was Tk 120 before Eid.

Sugar, which was sold at Tk 80 per kg even after Eid, is being sold at Tk 82 on Thursday at a higher price of Tk 2. And the price of flour has gone up by Tk 2 per kg and now it is Tk 40-42 per kg based on quality. The price of flour has hiked by Tk 5 per kg and is being sold at Tk 60. The most advanced in terms of price increase is packaged milk powder. Tk 50-60 increased per kg.

Retailers say there is no supply shortage of local lentils. As the prices of imported pulses increased, the wholesalers have deliberately increased the prices of domestic lentils.

Onion traders say that the import of onions from India has stopped. Due to this, the prices of local and Indian onions have gone up in both the retail and wholesale markets of the country.

The price of farm chicken eggs has also gone up in the market. Each egg is being sold at Tk 10 while a dozen cost Tk 115. But last week it was sold at Tk 9 each and Tk 105 per dozen.

According to TCB, a month ago, on April 10, the price of farm chicken eggs was Tk 8. And in April last year, the price was Tk 6.5. In one year, the price of eggs has increased by 15 percent.