Prices of essentials spiral

Cost of living in the city has increased significantly in less than a month due to price hike of essentials and fuel.

Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmood will sit with representatives of retailers and wholesalers in the city today to discuss the situation. At the meeting, prices of some essentials may be fixed, sources said.

Prices of rice and vegetables have increased by at least Tk 2 to 3 per kilogram in the city's kitchen markets in the last few days. Prices of soybean and eggs have marked sharp rise -- by Tk 10 per litre and Tk 10 per dozen respectively.

Wholesalers and suppliers attribute this to the severe cold wave that has affected production of vegetables, rice and other agricultural items, and chickens. Added to this, fuel price hike has increased transport costs, making essentials dearer, they said.

Our Roving Correspondent reported from Natore earlier this week that over 20,000 chickens died in poultry farms in Rajshahi and nearby areas due to the cold wave. Poultry farm owners in Gazipur and Tongi also said thousands of chickens died in the cold. This is affecting the market prices, they said.

During a visit to Karwan Bazar, New Market and Palashi kitchen markets yesterday, most of the vegetables were found selling at prices Tk 2 to 3 more per kiligram than that was one week ago. The traders said this is due to increase in transport cost following fuel price hike.

Bean was selling at Tk. 16 to 20, brinjal at Tk 15 to 19, tomato at Tk 20 to 25, korolla at Tk 28 to 32, potato at Tk 10 to Tk 12, onion at Tk 10 to Tk 12 and lady's finger at Tk 32 per kilogram.

A standard size gourd was selling at Tk 24 to Tk 30, a medium size cauliflower at Tk 12 to 16 and cabbage at Tk 9 to Tk 12.

Mohiuddin, a retailer at Karwan Bazar, said seven to ten days ago, per kg bean was sold at Tk 12 to Tk 14, brinjal at Tk 12 to Tk 14, tomato at Tk 16 to Tk 20, lady's finger at Tk 30. A standard size gourd was sold at Tk 14 to Tk 20, a medium size cauliflower at Tk 10 to Tk 14 and cabbage at Tk 8 to Tk 10.

Eggs were selling at Tk 42 to Tk 48 a dozen against Tk 33 to Tk 36 about ten days back.

Price of mashur dal (lintel) is stable at last week's Tk 44 to Tk 46 per kg.

Price of onion has however decreased to Tk 10-12 from last week's Tk 14- 16 per kg.

At New Market and Palashi Market, price of Najirshail rice has increased to Tk 19 from Tk 18 per kg, Miniket to Tk 21 from Tk 20, Tapiboro to Tk 19 from Tk 17 and Irri to Tk15 from Tk13.

Jahangir Alam, a wholesaler at Palashi Market said he has to pay a trucker Tk 300 to Tk 500 more now to bring rice from northern districts.

Though the government fixed prices of Soyabean at Tk 48 per kg for retailers and Tk 39 for wholesalers, retailers are selling it at Tk 50 to Tk 55 and wholesalers at Tk 43.

When contacted, officials of a private transport company said they have to spend Tk 300 more for a trip of an AC bus from Dhaka to Chittagong. For non-AC buses, the cost has increased by Tk 250.

Azizul who plies a minibus on Gulistan-Mirpur route in the city said enhanced fuel price has increased his operational cost by Tk 150 a day. So he has to charge extra fare from passengers, he said.

But operational cost of three-wheelers has not increased much. Their owners are paying only Tk 25 to 30 more per day due to the fuel price rise.

Private car owners claim their monthly fuel cost has gone up by Tk 300 to 500.

On the other hand, the city dwellers are now paying more for water as WASA increased the tariff by 5.5 per cent for domestic and 5 per cent for commercial consumers on January one.