Abhishek Bosu
Growing price hike for the last couple of months has been castigating mass people miserably. Ranging from middle income group to poorer section find it burdensome while purchasing their daily commodities in order to meet up their day to days requirements.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic for the last almost two years, many people lost their job, that is about 40 to 45% people became jobless while 30 to 35% found their monthly income half; still now their poor condition has not dispersed completely. Many are attempting hard to get to their normal income position as usual getting involved in new jobs, reveals a survey conducted by Bangladesh Development Research Institute ( BDRI).
“As a middle income r, I can’t cope with the ongoing price Spiral. I bought , today, one liter soyabean oil 160 tk that was 130 tk a couple of months ago; flour was 25 to 27 tk per kg , but now it’s 37 tk kg,” said Subrata Sen , a high school teacher and also a buyer at Khulna Borobazar area.
“I am a poor man , but I have to manage my daily necessaries at a high price from market. My only ten year old son desired to have beef to me last week, but regrettably I could not manage it for my son as now beef is selling at 550 to 560 tk per kg ; previous rate was 450 to 500 tk kg. Broiler chicken is selling at 260 to 70 tk kg , former rate was 210 to 20 tk kg, ” retorted Hafiz Uddin , a van puller at Noapara Bazar , Jashore area.
“Today I bought 2 kg potatoes at 25 tk rate , it’s previous rate was 12 to 16 tk kg; onion is being sold at 55 tk kg , before it was 30 to 35 tk kg. Winter season vegetables also demand , comparatively , rich price,” sighed a purchaser at Bhatpara Bazar , Abhaynagar Jashore area.
Like this, the prices of other daily necessaries are skyrocketing day by day mysteriously despite ongoing operation directed by Mobile Court at different areas in the country.
We ordered mobile court to investigate about the matter of price spike at various market levels in the country : local, gonal and district level, assured Nur Mohammed Majumder , Director, Mobile Court Bangladesh.( Source: tv news)
Mobile Court fined many retailers as well as wholesalers in different market areas in the country, many have been jailed also for irrational price hike.
“We buy goods at a reasonable price from companies and sell them to retailers . But retailers supply the products to the customers at a high price to push them into frustration”, reasoned a wholesaler in Noapara Bazar, Jashore .
While a retailer in Phultala Bazar , Khulna, put his logic by stating that they collect products from wholesalers at higher prices and are obliged to sell them to customers accordingly . They have nothing to do.
Wholesalers and retailers , in fact , pointing fingers to one another for price spiral. Mobile court , at times , conducts their mission to control it.
Yet, price hike is on the rise . In response , MD. Majumder said, one kind of dealer syndicate is working behind it ; we are trying our best to break the syndicate. Tougher steps are also going to be taken by the present government against those who are responsible for unreasonable price hike of daily commodities. I think very soon price hike of daily necessaries will be under control.