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Prices Skyrocket

Shutdown snaps supply chain of vegetables

Staff Correspondent
With the 60-hour hartal disrupting supplies, consumers are feeling the pinch of soaring prices of vegetables and other kitchen items in city markets.
Prices of green chilli, brinjal, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, greens, ridge gourd, onion, garlic and ginger shot up yesterday amid falling supply.
Transportation of goods came to a halt as the truckers did not operate their vehicles fearing arson attacks by opposition activists during the shutdown enforced by the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance.
Traders said prices of almost all the vegetables increased by Tk 10 to Tk 15 per kilogram on an average due to supply dearth.
When it came to green chilli, bitter gourd and beans, the hike was much higher.
Green chilli was selling at between Tk 160 and Tk 180 a kg yesterday against Tk 80 to Tk 90 two days ago. Bitter gourd was sold at Tk 80 a kg yesterday, up from Tk 50 on Saturday.
Abdur Rahim, an assistant at an electronics repairing shop at Lalbagh, said he was surprised at the prices of red amaranth. A retailer at Palasy kitchen market demanded Rahim Tk 10 for each small bundle, much higher than he had imagined.
After a little bargaining with the trader, Rahim bought four bundles of red amaranth atTk35.
"The extra price I had to pay today is just because of scanty supply. 1 usually buy each bundle atTk 5," said the 45-year-old man at midday yesterday.
"Prices have soared abruptly due to the shutdown. We people have become hostages of politicians' whims although they say people are the source of all power," said M Abu Eusuf, professor at Department of Development Studies at Dhaka University.
He had to buy daily vegetables like cauliflower, red amaranth, brinjal, onion, beans, lemon, potato and other items worth Tk 700 at Palasy kitchen market.
"I could have bought the same items for Tk 550 at the most. We just want to
get rid of hartals, but it depends on the politicians," added Eusuf.
Supply was inadequate at wholesale markets, said Mohammad Ismail, a vegetable retaileratWari.
Retailers demand higher prices taking the advantage of lack of supply for hartal, said Wahab Khan, professor of chemistry at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).
An official at Amin Mohammad Foundation, Tapas Kumar Mandal said he bought a cauliflower at Tk 25 at Hatirpool kitchen market two days ago. Yesterday, he had to buy a similar piece at 35.
"We earn a fixed amount every month. Any increase in prices of essentials put pressure on us,” he mentioned.
Mostafa Kamal, a wholesaler at Karwan Bazar, said trucks carrying vegetables could not enter the capital yesterday due to the shutdown.
He hoped prices of vegetables would ease with improvement of supply after the hartal.