Prices of five essential commodities have recently declined in the country鈥檚 largest consumer goods wholesale market at Khatunganj in Chattogram.
Lentils, khesari dal and sugar prices have fallen by Tk聽4 to 12 per kilogram (kg), while raw soybean and palm oil prices have decreased by around Tk聽2 per litre.
A visit to the market on Saturday found that lentil prices dropped by Tk 7 per kg in the last two weeks, now selling at Tk 81 per kg, while khesari dal and sugar fell by Tk 12 and Tk 4 per kg respectively.
Over the same period, the price of raw soybean oil declined by Tk 2.43 per litre to Tk 159.16, and palm oil by Tk 1.92 per litre to Tk 145.17.
However, the prices of these commodities are yet to decrease in the retail markets. Two weeks ago, lentils were priced at Tk 100 to 105 per kg, khesari dal at Tk 100, and sugar at Tk 105 to 110. Soybean oil was sold at Tk 180 per litre and palm oil at Tk 175 per litre, which remained the same today.
Faiz Ullah, Deputy Director of the Chattogram Divisional Office of the National Consumer Rights Protection Department, stated that their campaign is ongoing at the grassroots level, and they are working diligently with limited resources. He added that if any wrongdoing is found, the authorities will enforce the law.
The price of local onions, however, has increased by Tk 30 per kg at the wholesale level over the past three weeks. Yesterday, onions were sold at Tk 100 to 105 per kg.
Within the same period, the consumer price has risen by Tk 30 per kg, reaching Tk 110. Wholesale and retail traders attributed the price hike to a supply shortage.
Md Idris, General Secretary of the Hamidullah Mia Market Traders鈥� Welfare Association in Khatunganj, said the price is expected to stabilize once new round onions enter the market in December.
SM Nazer Hossain, vice president of the central committee of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), called for stronger market supervision to monitor pricing by traders. He noted that once prices rise, they often remain high for some time, affecting consumers.