A Recent Price Hike of Essential Commodities
Recently, the prices of many essential commodities have increased sharply in the markets of Dhaka city. Items like rice, flour, cooking oil, and vegetables have become more expensive, causing great suffering for people, especially those with low or fixed incomes. Most daily kitchen items are now being sold at unusually high prices, making them hard to afford for ordinary people.
Due to supply shortages caused by recent floods, the prices of many goods have gone up. Both fine and coarse rice have seen a rise of Rs 2 to 3 per kilogram. Coarse Irri rice is now selling at Rs 23 per kg, while fine Nazirsail rice is selling at Rs 32 per kg, and Miniket rice at Rs 34 per kg. Flour prices have also increased and are now selling at Rs 32 to 33 per kg. Soybean oil is selling at Rs 78 to 80 per litre, which is Rs 3 more than last week.
Among vegetables, aubergine is selling for Rs 50 to 55 per kg, bitter gourd for Rs 36 to 40 per kg, pointed gourd for Rs 30 to 32 per kg, and tomatoes for Rs 60 to 70 per kg. However, the price of potatoes has remained the same at Rs 18 to 20 per kg. There is a small drop in onion prices, now selling at Rs 36 per kg compared to Rs 38 per kg last week.
The price of green chili has increased a lot. It is now selling for Rs 80 to 100 per kg, while last week it was only Rs 50 to 60 per kg. This rise is due to floods damaging green chili fields across the country, causing a shortage in supply.
On the other hand, fish prices have gone down because their supply has increased in the markets. A one-kilogram hilsa fish is now selling for Rs 300, down from Rs 500 a week ago. Other fish like Ruhi, Katla, and Pangas have also seen a price drop. Ruhi is selling at Rs 100 per kg, Katla at Rs 90 per kg, and Pangas at Rs 120 per kg.
This recent price hike has become a major burden for the common people, especially for those struggling to manage their daily expenses.
