Jumbangla Desk: Although the interim government has taken various initiatives to bring relief to the market, the 'price heat' is still the same as before. Consumers complain that the duty on rice, onion and potato has been withdrawn but it has no effect on the market. They have to buy these at extra cost. But traders say different things. According to them, they are selling at the same price as they are buying the product.

On Friday (November 8), various markets in the capital showed that the prices of potatoes and onions increased more than last week. In the retail market, domestic onion is selling at Tk 150 to Tk 160 per kg and imported onion at Tk 120 to Tk 130 per kg. Apart from this, potatoes are being sold at Tk 70 to 75 per kg.

The market for garlic is also not favorable. While imported garlic is sold at Tk 240 per kg, the price of domestic garlic has increased by Tk 20 per kg. At present it is being sold at 250 to 260 taka per kg.

There is good news in the vegetable market as the vegetables arrive in advance of winter. The price has come down a bit. The price of green chillies is also down. It is being sold at 160 to 200 taka per kg in retail.

Narrow rice including Nazirshail, Katari, Jirashail is being sold at Tk 75 to Tk 82 per kg in Manved market. Apart from this, medium quality rice including BR-28 and 29, Miniket, Pajam is selling at 65 to 70 rupees and coarse rice including Guti, Swarna, China Iris is selling at 52 to 58 rupees.

According to TCB, now the price of rice is 7 to 13 percent higher than the same period last year. At the same time, the price of potato per kg increased by 23 percent in a month. Besides, domestic onion is being sold up to 27 percent per kg.

Buyers say that they do not see any shortage of potatoes and onions in the market. Traders are increasing the prices of these by creating artificial crisis through syndicates. Making the situation unstable.

According to traders, the price of potatoes has increased at the Himagara gate, which has affected the retail market. And the prices of both domestic and imported onions have increased due to the supply shortage of domestic onions in the market. But this situation will not last long.

In this regard, Vice President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) SM Najer Hossain told the media that after reducing the duty, one party is taking advantage of it, consumers are not getting it. It should be strictly monitored by the government as to who is taking the tariff benefits.

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He also said that the government is now only supervising at the retail level. But market regulation requires supervision at all three levels – producer, wholesale and retail, which is not happening.