Commodity prices soar in Khulna

With only two days left for Ramadan, the prices of most essentials continued to soar on local kitchen markets yesterday.
The prices of sugar, pulses, spices and edible oil increased by 30 percent from last week.
The prices of yellow-pea, chickpea and lentil shot up to Tk 62, Tk 54 and Tk 108 a kilogram respectively from Tk 55, Tk 40 and Tk 100 in the last one week.
Packed Rupchanda soybean oil sells higher by Tk 7 a litre on local markets.
A five-litre container of the oil was sold at Tk 432 yesterday, up from last week's Tk 425.
On the other hand, the prices of loose soybean oil have increased from Tk 82 to Tk 86 a kilogram. Sugar sold at Tk 48, up from Tk 36-40.
Imported garlic was up for sale at Tk 70 a kg while local garlic costs Tk 96, which is almost Tk 45 to Tk 55 higher than the previous prices.
The prices of both imported and local onions have also soared by Tk 10 to Tk 15 per kg.
Prices of most vegetables increased by 20 to 30 percent.
A 15-member committee has been formed by Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque to monitor the market.
The committee headed by KCC Secretary Kazi Faizur Rahman has directed all traders to follow price charts.
As per new rates, chickpea is to sell at Tk 24, sugar at Tk 44, onion at Tk 16 and yellow-pea at Tk 46 a kg at the retail level.
KCC has opened a control room to monitor the market. But no shops at Khulna Bara Bazar were found hanging price charts.
Khulna Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is yet to start open-market sales of soybean oil, onion, sugar and chickpea.
Rabiul Morshed, regional director of Khulna TCB, said no dealer has yet been appointed for open-market sales.
“We are yet to get any of these items from Dhaka to stock in our silos here,” he added.
But preparations are underway as the district administration and KCC have sent two separate lists of dealers to the head office of TCB in Dhaka.
“At present, there are 45 tonnes of sugar and 4,500 litres of soybean oil in Khulna TCB storage. This year we will not sell onion,” Morshed said.