Prices <»f essentials, like ev ery year have registered a steep rise with ihe advent of the holy month of Ramadan

Die < onsurners Association of Bangladesh ICAB) yesterday reported an 8 74 per rent rise compared with the prices of essentials during the months of Ramadan last year

Prices of fish rice and alia flour registered the highest nw Prices of fish Increased by 31.16 per cent rke 27 71 per cent and atta flour 16 64

, per cent, the ('AB study said

According Io market sources yesterday prices of different varieties of pulse*, oil. chick peas and spices marked on an average a five to ten per cent rise

(Ml dealer* al Moulvlbszar

largest wholesale market of the country told The Daily Star that no L/< was opened in the last iwo months for im porting edible oil as the gov eminent had not vet lowered duties on oil In accordance with its commitment

< hit k pea which Is widely consumed In the month of Ramadan, could not be bar vested thia yeat as almost the whole- crop was destroyed tn pest attack, traders said

Die wholesale and retail prices of some of the rssen Hala in yesterday » market were Soyabeen oil- Tk 46 NO per kilogram tn wholesale markct(WM) while It la tieing, sold In retail market (RM) al Tk 50 jwr kg mustered oil Tk 46 |>er kgfWMI and Tk 56 (wr

kg (RMI dalda Tk 58 per kg WMI and Tk 68 IRM) khesari pulse De 12 per kg IWMI and Tk 16 IRM). Mashur pulse Tk 32 per kg (WMI and Tk 36 (RM), booftgraml pulse Til 26 per kg IWMI and Tk 30 (RM)

Prices of some spices largely consumed In Ramadan also went up ( ardamom was selling at Tk 415 to Tk 490 per kg lof various qualities! dried grape Tk 60 per kg. cinnamon Tk 178 per kg. black jwpper Tk 190 per kg Hesidea powdered khesari was selling at Tk 18 per kg. pow dered gram at Tk 36. chick pea at Ik 30. foe hha shemat IwrrmceillB) at Tk 52 and k> cal sugar at Tk 30. while sugar imported from India. Bradl

and Malaysia were selling at Tk 29 per kg.

A cross-section of people, who crowded different city markets yesterday for Ra madan shopping complained that prices of most of the essentials have gone out of their reach.

They demanded immediate steps to arrest the price hike.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce will review the demand, supply, and price situation of essentials in the month of Ramadan at a meeting on February 4 at 4:30 pm.

With the Commerce Minister in the chair the high-level meeting will be attended by secretaries, government officials and representatives of traders associations.