Prices of food items double on first Ramadan to upset household budgets

The price of food commodities used to make Iftar at the kitchen markets of Dhaka has doubled at the beginning of Ramadan, upsetting household budgets.

The markets at Karwan Bazar, New Market, Hatirpool, Fakirerpool, Gopibagh and Mugdaparha charged Tk 5 to 50 more for each kilogram of the commodities on Friday.

There were not too many customers in the markets.

Onion, garlic, green chilli, potato, brinjal, tomato, cucumber, lemon and ginger, among others, saw the highest price upsurge.

With the arrival of Ramadan, major ingredients of the most popular Iftar delicacies like Potato-chap, Beguni, lemon juice and salad recorded the highest increase in prices.

On Friday, price of potato increased by Tk 5 to sell at Tk 20 to 25 per kg.

Brinjal was being sold at Tk 60 to 100 a kg depending on variety and quality. Last week, it was around Tk 40 per kg.

Large lemon’s price increased by Tk 10 to 15 per four-piece unit to Tk 25 to 30 in a week.

Cucumber was selling at Tk 40 to 60 after an increase of Tk 20 to 30.

Puffed rice, a major Iftar item, gained Tk 20 to 30 depending on the variety. Machine-puffed variety was selling at Tk 55 to 60 while the hand-puffed variety at Tk 90 to 110.

In a week, the price of onion increased by Tk 5, garlic by Tk 10, green chilli and tomato by Tk 20 to 30 based on quality and market.

Prices of items also escalated following the hike in Iftar ingredients.

Most of the vegetables rose by Tk 5 per kg.

Md Anwar Hossain, a vegetables trader at Karwan Bazar, said ,“The price has gone up everywhere. We’ve nothing to do. We do not increase prices.”

Consumers disagreed.

A buyer at Hossain’s shop expressed his anger, “You don’t hike prices, then who does? You exchange blames while people get ripped off.”

Hedayat Hossain, another consumer, told “It has become a tradition. Prices of various items increase with the advent of Ramadan. People have no way but consume.”