Price chart forgotten in Ctg: Most of 29 essentials selling at higher prices after a month

Except for three items, all 29 essential commodities, such as fish, meat, eggs, pulses, and vegetables, in Chattogram are being sold at higher prices than the rates set by the government over a month ago to provide relief to people squeezed by unbridled inflation.

Kitchen markets and other grocery stores in the port city were observed selling nine products at twice the fixed prices, while only onions, green chillies, and gram flour dropped below the price ceilings set by the Department of Agricultural Marketing on 15 March.

According to market prices, pangash, katla, eggplant, potato, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, sweet pumpkin, and banana sagar were being sold at almost twice the prices set by the government.

The agricultural marketing department capped the prices of broiler chicken at Tk175.30 per kg, sonali chicken at Tk262, beef at Tk664.39, mutton at Tk1,003.56, pangas (farm) at Tk180.87, katla (farm) at Tk353.59, and eggs at Tk10.49 each.

On Saturday, at Kazir Dewri kitchen market in the port city, broiler chicken was being sold at Tk240 per kg, Sonali chicken at Tk350, beef at Tk900-1,000, mutton at Tk1,100, pangas (farm) at Tk300, katla (farm) at Tk600, and eggs at Tk12 each.

Among the pulses, imported chickpeas are being sold at Tk115 per kg, fine lentils at Tk145, coarse lentils at Tk110, mung dal at Tk200, kheshari dal at Tk125, black gram dal at Tk170, and gram flour at Tk100 kg in the same market and nearby grocery stores.

These prices are higher than the government-fixed rates of imported chickpeas at Tk98.30, fine lentils at Tk130.50, coarse lentils at Tk105.50, mung dal at Tk165.41, kheshari dal at Tk92.61, black gram at Tk166.41, and gram flour at Tk121.30.

Similarly, starting on 16 March, the local variety of onion was supposed to be sold at a maximum price of Tk65.40 per kg, local garlic at Tk120.81, imported ginger at Tk180.20, dry chilli at Tk327.34, Zaidi dates at Tk185.07, and coarse flattened rice at Tk60.

However, today, among these products, local onions were selling at Tk60 per kg, local garlic at Tk190, imported ginger at Tk200, dry chilli at Tk480, Zaidi dates at Tk300, and coarse flattened rice at Tk70 per kg.

In the kitchen markets of the city, including Kazir Dewri, green chillies were selling for Tk35, eggplant at Tk80, potatoes at Tk60, cabbage at Tk50, cauliflower at Tk160, beans at Tk120, tomatoes at Tk50, sweet pumpkin at Tk60, and sagar bananas at Tk60 for every four pieces.

According to the government circular, green chillies were supposed to be sold at Tk60.20 per kg, eggplant at Tk49.75, potatoes at Tk28.55, cabbage at Tk28.30, cauliflower at Tk29.60, beans at Tk48, tomatoes at Tk40.20, sweet pumpkin at Tk23.38, and sagar bananas at Tk29.78 for every four pieces.

Nurul Abshar, proprietor of Jannat Super Store in the Jamal Khan area of the port city, said the prices of potatoes, onions, and eggs have increased at the wholesale level during the last week of Ramadan. Subsequently, prices at the retail stage have also increased.

However, he mentioned that the prices of lentil products have slightly decreased in the last week.

"We have heard about price fixing, but how can we sell products at the retail level if the fixed prices are not followed at the wholesale level?" Abshar posed a question.

"These prices are reasonable as the government has analysed costs at all stages from production to consumption," he said, suggesting that supervisory agencies should strictly implement the price chart.

Mohammad Idris, general secretary of the Hamidullah Market Traders Association in Khatunganj, said, "We also want prices to be regulated at every stage because importers or middlemen make extra profits by selling products at prices higher than import costs, while dealers or commission agents face fines during market monitoring."

Idris believes that market control is achievable with strong monitoring from production or import to the retail market.

SM Najer Hossain, vice-president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said price fixing is a crucial step at all stages, from production to consumer sales. He expressed concern over the lack of action to implement this initiative in the past month, noting that although the government had set prices for various products, these were not enforced. 

Hossain stressed the need for all government agencies and departments to collaborate to ensure that products are sold at fixed prices, providing relief to consumers.

Mohammad Faiz Ullah, deputy director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection in Chattogram, mentioned that in addition to regular market monitoring, special attention was given to market oversight during Ramadan.

He highlighted that the government sets prices by adjusting costs at all levels, from import and production to retail. Ullah emphasised that there should be no deviation from these prices at any stage, whether wholesale or retail.

Furthermore, Ullah stated that the office had reopened after the Eid vacation, and they are now committed to enforcing the sale of products at fixed prices at all stages.

The circular issued on 15 March, which fixed the prices of 29 products, stipulated that the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Agriculture would jointly oversee implementation.

Officials from both ministries will be actively involved in the field, and officials from the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection will enforce the Agricultural Marketing Act, which includes various penalties such as fines, it added.