Prices of rice, oil, and sugar go up

The prices of many commodities including rice, edible oil and sugar went up on the kitchen markets in the capital Dhaka over the week ending Friday.

The prices of most other essential commodities remained high however the prices of onion, garlic, ginger, eggs and broiler chicken decreased in the city’s different kitchen markets during the same period.

The price of per kilogram coarse rice increased by Tk 3 while medium quality rice is being sold at Tk 70 to Tk 75 and good quality rice at Tk 80 per kilogram at Kawran Bazar market.

The prices of per kilogram packaged flour have increased by Tk 10 and a two-kilogram packet of flour of different companies is being sold at Tk 150 to Tk 160.

Besides, per kilogram of unpackaged flour is being sold at Tk 65 at the market.

The millers on Thursday once again increased the prices of soybean oil and sugar. They increased the edible oil price by Tk 12 to Tk 190 per litre while the price of sugar by Tk 13 to Tk 108 a kg.

A litre of unbottled soybean oil is being sold at Tk 172, up from the previous Tk 158 and at the same market, per kilogram of unpackaged sugar is being sold at Tk 120 against its fixed Tk 108.

The price of lentils also saw a fresh hike as per kilogram of lentils is being sold at Tk 110 to Tk 140 based on verities.

The price of chickpeas increased to Tk 5 and per kilogram of chickpeas is being sold at Tk 85 to Tk 90.

The onion price saw a slight decrease and per kilogram of onion is being sold at Tk 50 to Tk 55 which was Tk 60 a week ago.

Per kilogram of imported onion is being sold at Tk 40 to Tk 50 while the local garlic is being sold at Tk 70 per kilogram which was Tk 80 in the previous week.

Local ginger is being sold at Tk 200 to Tk 220 at the same market.

While talking to the Business Insider, Alamin, a private sector job holder, said people are passing through a crisis due to the abnormal inflationary pressure against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine way.

“Furthermore, we saw, the prices of edible oil and sugar have been increased. It is nothing but just rubbing salt into a bleeding wound,” Alamin said while he was buying soybean oil at Kawran Bazar market.

Several traders of the market said they are unable to respond to any question to the consumers as well as the media men as the price of per kilogram sugar has been fixed at Tk 108 but it is being sold at Tk 120.

“How and why? Who will give the answer? We are now being forced to stop selling sugar due to the market manipulation of an organised syndicate,” said some traders equivocally.

They also called upon the government to deal with the market with a strong hand otherwise, people will not get respite from the price spiral of the essential items.