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The purchasing capacity of lower and middle-class people of the country have gone beyond their income as prices of most essential commodities have increased further.
The hike in prices of daily products, including rice, atta, flour, potato, garlic, sugar, chicken, mutton and egg, has made livelihood costlier.
Consumers are facing trouble in maintaining their families due to the continuous increase in prices of the essential items.
Prices of 13 food items increased and prices of three essentials declined on Friday, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data shows.
Prices of fine, medium and coarse rice increased further by 4 to 7 percent in a week in the capital, said the TCB statistics.
“Potato, lentil and rice were the common food for all kinds of people as it was cheap. Many lower-income people usually consume it in the wake of skyrocketed prices of beef, mutton, eggs and fish, but prices of those essentials are also increasing,” said Anisur Rahman, a sales executive of a private company.
“We dropped beef, mutton and fishes from our regular menu. But, it is turning difficult to consume broiler chicken, lentil and potato as the prices of these items are going up abnormally,” he said.
Fine rice price hiked by 4.76 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 60-72 per kg, medium quality rice price increased by 5.88 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 52-56 per kg and coarse rice price increased by 7.53 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 48-52 per kg.
Loose atta price rose by 10.34 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 46-50 per kg, packet atta price increased by 6.12 percent and was sold at Tk 50-54 per kg, loose flour price raised by 1.69 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 58-62 per kg, packet flour price increased by 3.85 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 65-70 per kg.
The upward trend of commodity prices began on February 24 this year soon after the war started between Russia and Ukraine.
The trend has been continuing in Bangladesh although the government has taken different measures to control commodity prices.
Lentil is the most common food of all kinds of people, but the price of lentil is also increased recently and was sold at Tk 140-145 per kg.
The middle- and lower-income groups usually complete their meal with lentil and rice, but the price hike put them in trouble.
Medium-quality lentil price increased by 4.08 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 125-130 per kg and small-quality lentil price went up by 3.92 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 130-135 per kg.
Potato is also the most common vegetable for people has witnessed price hike in this week.
While visiting Mohammadpur Krishi Market in the capital on Friday, this correspondent found that potato price increased to Tk 25-30 per kg from Tk 20 per kg in a week.
Potato price surged by 4.65 percent in a week, the TCB data showed.
Imported onion price soared by 10.53 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 50-55 per kg while the local onion price decreased by 6.25 per cent in a week and was sold at Tk 35-40 per kg, according to TCB.
Garlic price hiked by 5.88 percent in a week and was sold at TK 170-190 per kg, local dry chili price increased by 2.13 percent and was sold at Tk 200-280 per kg, imported dry chili price increased by 3.08 per cent and was sold at TK 320-350 per kg, according to TCB.
Mutton price went up by 8.33 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 950-1,000 per kg, local chicken price increased by 1.90 percent and was sold at Tk 520-550 per kg, sugar price increased by 1.90 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 79-82 per kg, farm egg price increased by 1.23 percent in a week and was sold at Tk 40-42 per four pieces.
(DS)
