Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Lalmonirhat, the prices of raw vegetables, fish, meat and daily essentials have skyrocketed in various markets of the district city. Members of business syndicates have become active. Common people are in trouble.
Buyers generally said that the price of every vegetable has increased. Earlier, the market was full of bags for 100 taka, but now you can’t buy 1 kg of dharas for 100 taka. Middle income people like us are the worst hit. The prices of vegetables, fish and meat in the markets are increasing every day and it is going beyond the reach of middle class and low income people. Retailers say, we are forced to increase prices due to increase in wholesale prices.
A few markets in the district have been visited and found that chichinga is being sold at Tk 100 per kg, beans at Tk 60, brinjal at Tk 45, potal at Tk 100, drumstick at Tk 100, green chilli at Tk 130, raw tomato at Tk 60, ripe tomato at Tk 80, carrot at Tk 60, bitter gourd. 100 taka, pumpkin 40 taka, coriander 60 taka, big potato 40 taka. Apart from this, raw papaya is sold at Tk 60 per kg and raw banana at Tk 40 per kg. The price of every vegetable has increased. Earlier, you could buy a bag full of 100 taka, now you have to buy 1 kg of dharas for 100 taka.
The price of 1 kg cuttle fish has increased from 180 to 240 taka, 1 kg silver carp fish from 130 taka to 230 taka, 1 kg of roe fish from 180 to 240 taka, 1 kg grass carp from 150 to 250 taka, 1 kg pangash from 110 to 160 taka, 1 kg tilapia from 110 taka. From 170 taka, 1 kg of hilsa stood at 1200 taka from 800 taka. And the local small fish market is skyrocketing. Along with fish, the price of meat has increased a lot. Beef is being sold at Tk 700 per kg, Khashi meat is being sold at Tk 900/1100, Desi Mugri is being sold at Tk 450, Broiler chicken is being sold at Tk 250.
Along with vegetables, fish and meat, the prices of various cooking materials have also increased. Meanwhile, on Sunday (March 05), Mahendranagar, Barabari and BD R Huts of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila were visited and found that the price of fish has increased from Tk 50 to Tk 100 per kg. Many people who came to the market were seen returning empty-handed. Those who are buying, they said, have spent more than the allocation.
Khwaja Rashed, who came to buy fish, said that his head is spinning after hearing the price. 50 to 100 rupees per kg of fish. One is surprised to hear the price of fish. I came to buy a kg of fish and some curries for Tk 500. But in this allocation, instead of taking big fish, we had to buy horn fish for 225 taka half a kg. And with the remaining money, I will buy as many raw vegetables as possible.
Ruhul Amin, who came to market at Sadar’s BD R market, said, I work in a diagnostic center. I get a salary of 12 thousand taka per month. A family of 5 including three sons and daughters. 7 thousand taka is spent every month to buy food and education for boys and girls. In addition to this, house rent, current bill, clothes, travel expenses, tuk-tuk work are spent. Earlier every month three to four thousand taka was in hand at the end of the month. Now, due to the increase in the price of everyday goods, all the money has been spent, and on the contrary, we have to pay debts from time to time. As time goes by, the burden of debt is getting heavier. We middle class people can neither talk nor bear suffering.
Sabuj Mia, another buyer who came to Sadar’s Noyar Hut market, said that traders do business by syndicate. If one wants to sell at a slightly lower price, the other trader next to him gets angry. It is as if money is being taken from the public’s pocket. Therefore strict monitoring of the administration is required in each market.
Another vegetable seller named Zahurul of Sadar Nair Hut said, I am selling at the same price that all the sellers are selling. We suffer more, gain less. How can we buy raw vegetables at a higher price and sell them at a lower price? Vegetables are not sold by syndicate in the market. Syndicates are organized in municipal raw vegetable markets.
In this regard, President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Moral Humayun Kabir said that daily commodity market is being monitored regularly. On the question that the traders are increasing the prices of various products by forming syndicates, he further said that the traders will not be given any opportunity to increase the prices by making syndicates. We will take immediate action if we receive such news. If necessary, mobile courts will be operated in every haat-bazar. However, the price of fresh produce and fish will come down soon.
On the other hand, the demand of the conscious community is that if the price of daily necessities increases like this, people of middle class families like us will have to go without food and do not know when to go to the streets with our family members.
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