Vegetable prices go up

Vegetable prices in the capital's kitchen markets shot up on Saturday amid the ongoing transport strike across the country enforced in protest against the latest hike in fuel oil prices.

All kinds of vegetables saw their prices go up by Tk5-10 per kg in the span of a day.

Store owners and vegetable sellers said truck owners had increased fares due to the hike in diesel prices. As a result, transportation costs have increased.

Besides, due to the announcement of the strike, a small number of goods-laden trucks came to Dhaka on Friday night, causing the prices of vegetables to go up on Saturday, they added.

Ruhul Amin, a vegetable seller at Kawran Bazar, said, "Price of all types of vegetables have risen by Tk5 -7 per kg at the wholesale market. So the selling prices have had to be raised too."

Abdul Khalek, a vegetable seller in Moghbazar, said on Saturday, "Even two days ago, I bought a crate (26kg) of tomatoes for Tk2,550. Today, I had to buy it for Tk2,700. The tomatoes are being sold for Tk110/kg now."

He said that raw vegetables mainly come from Khulna, Satkhira, Jashore, Bogura and Narsingdi. It used to cost Tk1,000, if brought by small pick-up van, but now, it is costing Tk2,000.

Asadul Islam, a fish seller in Karwan Bazar, said prices of fish have gone up by Tk20-30 per kg due to the transport strike. "Pangas fish is being sold at Tk130 per kg, small ruhi at Tk160, small rupachanda Tk420, and tilapia fish at Tk160 per kg."

Matiar Rahman, a vegetable seller in Karwan Bazar, said the price of all types of vegetables including stem amaranth, and red amaranth has gone up by Tk2 to Tk3 per bunch.

Rice, pulses, oil and other daily necessities are being sold at the same price. The prices of these products have already gone up, and traders are worried that it may go up further.

Abubakar Siddique, who came to Karwan Bazar, told The Business Standard, "The price of daily essentials is higher now. On top of that, the government has suddenly increased the price of fuel oil by Tk15 per liter. Our salary is not increasing anymore. If the cost increases like this, I will not be able to stay in Dhaka, I will have to move to the village."

Masum Mostafa, another consumer at Karwan Bazar, said, "Everything is going beyond the purchasing power. Already the price of everything has gone up, now, adding insult to injury, the government increased the price of oil also.

"I urge the government not to increase the price of oil considering the plight of the common people."

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) President Ghulam Rahman said, "The decision to hike oil price was not made considering the impact on the economy. The bureaucrats made the decision for the sake of the interest of the traders. The price of everything will go up now following the oil price hike, which ultimately will increase the cost of living. In particular, it will have a huge negative impact on the lives of lower and lower middle class people."

Ghulam Rahman said the government should go back to the previous prices of fuel.

The government hiked diesel and kerosene prices by Tk15 to Tk80 per liter on Wednesday, citing a volatile global market for crude oil. In response, transport owners and workers called an indefinite nationwide strike, demanding either a rise in fares or a reversal of the hike.

Meanwhile, due to the transport strike, no goods-laden truck is entering Khatunganj, the country's largest wholesale market. Traders think that if the strike continues, the price of goods may go up.

About 2,000 trucks carrying consumer goods from different parts of the country come to Khatunganj every day. Jahangir Alam, president of the Chaktai Khatunganj Warehouse Traders Association, said no more than 50 trucks arrived on Saturday.

"We have instructed all wholesalers not to raise prices due to the strike. Traders are still selling products at earlier prices. The supply chain will remain unaffected for another three to four days with the quantity of the product in stock," he added.

Idris Ali, general secretary of the Hamidullah Mia Market Traders Welfare Association, a large wholesale market for onions in Khatunganj, said the wholesale price of onion has gone up by Tk4 per kg due to the transport strike.

On Thursday, Indian onions were sold at Tk38 per kg while it was sold for Tk42 on Saturday. Myanmar onions were sold at Tk35 per kg on Thursday, but there was no supply in the market on Saturday.

Onion wholesalers said they take 20 trucks of onions daily from Khatunganj and Chaktai during normal times; whereas only five to six trucks of onions were sold on Saturday due to the transport strike.

Although the retailers of the port city were able to come with a small quantity of onions, the retailers of different upazilas could not come. As a result, sales have dropped by more than half.