With Ramadan still two months away, the prices of most of the essential commodities, including rice, flour, onion, potato, garlic, ginger, gram pulse, and vegetables, have skyrocketed in the capital in a week.
“Traders usually increase prices two to three months ahead of Ramadan. When the government pressures them, they slightly reduce prices,” Consumers Association of Bangladesh Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain told the Daily Sun.

Some unscrupulous traders raised the prices when consumers, the administration, and law enforcers were busy with the national elections, he said.

The Awami League in its election manifesto pledged to keep commodity prices within everyone's purchasing power. But traders increased prices soon after the elections and are making huge profits.
Beef prices in Mirpur 12, 11, 6, and Mohammadpur increased to Tk700-750 per kg from Tk650 in a week, broiler chicken to Tk220-230 per kg from Tk200-210, and sonali chicken to Tk340 per kg from Tk330. 

Potato prices went up to Tk70 per kg from Tk60 and murikata onion to Tk100 per kg from Tk90. Local garlic prices rose to Tk300 per kg from Tk260-280 and that of the imported one to Tk280 per kg from Tk240.
Besides, newly-harvested ginger prices increased to Tk280 per kg from Tk260 and that of the imported variety to Tk260 per kg from Tk240.

Beef prices declined to Tk550-600 per kg in the capital a month earlier. Traders on 6 December last year decided to sell it at Tk650 per kg until the 12th parliamentary election.
They also said prices would be adjusted after the polls. But instead of falling or remaining the same, beef prices have gone up.  

Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) General Secretary Shah Emran told the Daily Sun last month’s decision to sell beef at Tk650 per kg came from a joint meeting of BDFA and Bangladesh Meat Traders Association at Sadeeq Agro’s Mohammadpur office.

“The association members are still selling it at that rate as new prices have yet to be fixed. We will discuss prices in our meeting on Saturday (today),” he said.
Pappu Gosto Bitan in Mirpur 12 sold beef at Tk700 per kg on Friday. A seller at the shop said prices had increased five days earlier.

Gram pulse prices went up to Tk100-110 per kg from Tk85-90, lentil to Tk150-160 per kg from Tk140, and anchor lentil to Tk75-80 per kg from Tk65 in a couple of weeks.

The prices of all kinds of rice also increased. Fine rice prices rose to Tk70-75 per kg from Tk65-70, medium-quality rice to Tk56 per kg from Tk53, and coarse rice to Tk50-52 per kg from Tk50.

Babubazar Rice Traders Association General Secretary Nizam Uddin told the Daily Sun paddy prices had increased at the local level, prompting corporates and auto mill owners to follow suit. He also said the prices of all kinds of rice had increased by Tk3-4 per kg in a week.

Green papaya prices rose to Tk50 per kg from Tk40, bean to Tk80-100 per kg from Tk60-70, cauliflower and cabbage to Tk50-60 per piece from Tk40-50, bottle gourd to Tk100-120 per piece from Tk70, brinjal to Tk100-120 per kg from Tk80-100. Besides, ribbed gourd, sponge gourd, and yardlong bean prices went up to Tk80-100 per kg from Tk70-80.

Packaged flour prices increased to Tk55-65 per kg from Tk55-60 and non-packaged refined flour to Tk65-70 per kg from Tk60-70.