Essentials become pricier before Eid-ul-Adha

One baffled Sushanto Gomes was staring at green chilies at a retail shop in the city’s Karwan Bazar kitchen market on Saturday morning. He was surprised to learn that he had to buy the commodity paying a price three times higher than the amount he had spent only four days ago.

Like Sushanto many other people at the kitchen market were seen perturbed over the increasing prices of various everyday essentials.

Prices of various commodities that remain on high demand during the Eid-ul-Adha have skyrocketed in Dhaka kitchen markets over the last one week, even though the holy festival is still one month away.

Among the commodities that witnessed a fresh spell of price hike this week, there is onion, green chili, ginger, garlic and other spices. Prices of egg, chicken and some vegetables have also marked noticeable increase.

While visiting the Karwan Bazar kitchen market in the capital this morning, this correspondent found that one kilogram of the local variety of onion was selling for Tk45-50 at retail shops, which was Tk25 a week ago.

Meanwhile, per kilogram of imported Indian onion was selling for Tk35 to Tk40 in the wholesale market. A week ago, this variety of onion was selling for Tk15 to Tk20.

“The price of onion has doubled within a weak because of a shortage in its supply” Zahid Hassan, a wholesaler in Karwan Bazar, said casually. 

Meanwhile, a kilogram of green chili was selling for Tk100, which was Tk40 in the previous week.

Consumers needed to pay an additional Tk50 to purchase one kilogram of garlic on Saturday morning, in span of a weak.

Prices of various spices, especially cardamom and cumin, also marked steep rise as Eid-ul-Adha is approaching.

Rina Khatun, an inhabitant of Farmgate, bought broiler chicken for Tk145 per kg, for which she had to pay Tk120 a week ago. “The price is even higher in our local market” she said.

Besides, a number of vegetables witnessed a Tk5 to Tk10 hike in this period.

Due to continuous rain, wastage of vegetable increased and transportation faced obstacles. If this kind of bad weather continues, prices may go even higher, vegetable shopkeepers told The Business Standard. 

Price variation within a week (TAKA)