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The prices of salt remained stable across the country on Wednesday following a sudden hike due to rumourdriven panicbuying on Tuesday while onions were still sold at exorbitant prices.
Salt price soared across the country on Tuesday after rumours went rife that salt prices would go up shortly due to severe shortage.
The essential item, however, found available at reasonable prices in market on Wednesday as the government agencies took swift actions to control panic buying.
Mymensingh Detective Branch on Wednesday seized 7,000 kg of salt and detained four people who were involved with hording of the product.
Industries minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun on Wednesday said that there was a buffer stock of salt in the country for one year as its production in the last dry season was more than the demand.
He was addressing the opening session of the Bangladesh Digital Wages Summit at Radisson Hotel in the capital.
‘A vested quarter is trying to destabilise the country’s salt market through spreading rumours for hindering the development activities of the country,’ the minister added.
Zakir Hossain, a salesperson of Hazi Mizan Store at Karwan Bazar, told New Age that they faced a rush of salt consumers on Tuesday but the situation became calm next day.
He said that stock remained sufficient in the market and consumers also realised that a rumour went around over salt prices.
Although salt was sold at reasonable prices, the prices of onions remained high in city markets.
The local variety of onions was sold for Tk 180 a kg and the onions imported from Egypt and China were sold for Tk 130-140 a kg in city markets.
Amid the high prices, an air cargo with 81.5 tonnes of onion landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka from Pakistan at 7:20pm.
Custom officials confirmed that Sad Enterprise imported the onion through an air cargo of Silk Way Airlines from Pakistan.
Traders said that the price of onion might come down to an affordable level after reaching the onion laden air cargo to the country from Egypt.
S Alam group opened later of credit to import onions from Egypt and its first batch was supposed to reach the country at 1:00am.
According to the commerce ministry data, some 50,000 tonnes of onions will be imported through air cargo while 12,000 tonnes will be brought by sea.
The consignments would reach the country shortly and the prices of onions would be dropped soon, the commerce minister Tipu Munsi said on Tuesday.
(NA)
