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PRICES OF ESSENTIALS

Key ingredients getting out of reach for many
Eggs, chicken, onions, potatoes become dearer
MAHBUBUR RAHMAN KHAN and SHAHEEN MOLLAH
Although the prices of some daily commodities have decreased, middle- and low-income families are still struggling to make ends meet due to the recent hike in prices of essential grocery items such as eggs, chicken, onions, and potatoes.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, prices of eggs and broiler chicken increased by almost 10 percent within a month.
A dozen eggs cost Tk 170 yesterday at the retail shops, compared to an average of Tk 150 just a month ago.
People with limited means are now resorting to buying eggs that get cracked during transportation because they are sold cheaper.
Jomila Khatun, a slum dweller of the capital’s Tejgaon area, went to buy eggs from local shops, but to her surprise, she found retailers selling eggs at Tk 15 a piece.
She then decided to buy two cracked eggs for Tk 10 a piece. “Earlier, they [cracked eggs] were Tk 6 a piece. But even a piece of cracked egg now costs Tk 4 more.”
When I fry cracked eggs, I frequently find tiny shell fragments in them. I’d rather not buy them, but I don’t really have much of a choice,” said Jomila, wife of a rickshaw puller.
Ekhlas Hossain, a CNG-run autorickshaw driver, went to the Mirpur-2 kitchen market with Tk 1,000, hoping it would be enough to buy the things on his list, but he had to cut back on shopping when he learned the price of eggs and chicken had risen.
“Sonali chicken was Tk 270 per kg last week, but it is now Tk 300 per kg,” he said, adding that he bought a dozen eggs for Tk 160, which was earlier Tk 145.
The sole breadwinner in his family of four, Ekhlas wanted to buy his children some treats like biscuits, milk, and bananas because they enjoyed them.
However, he was sad to say that he failed to do that much for his two children.
“I thought I’d be able to save some money as green chilli, ginger, and oil prices had decreased. But, at the same time, other essentials got more expensive,” said a disappointed Ekhlas.
Hawladar, an egg retailer from Mirpur-2, said people were buying fewer eggs because of their high price. “My daily sales have dropped to Tk 6,000 from Tk 10,000.”
Broiler chicken was sold yesterday in the capital’s kitchen market for Tk 185 per kg, compared to the average price of Tk 170 per kg around this time last month.
Speaking to this newspaper, Bangladesh Poultry Association President Sumon Howlader said the unusual rise in egg and chicken prices is the result of a syndicate of large businessmen manipulating
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