As the flash floods have boosted the demand for dry food, including puffed and flattened rice, dishonest traders have become busy with making extra money by hiking prices of food and different essential commodities.
As a result, several markets in the capital continue to face a shortage of these items. The demand for essential commodities such as onions, oil, lentils, and vegetables has increased amid floods. Such a situation has driven up prices of items in the kitchen markets.
During visit to different kitchen markets, including Karwan Bazar,
on Saturday, it was found that despite having high demand, the stock of dry food and few essential commodities is running out in these markets.
Traders said that since Friday night, many buyers paid in advance for essential items such as onions, potatoes, oil, lentils, and other goods to be used as relief supplies. Due to a sudden spike in the demand, traders have been unable to restock these products.
They further said that the supply of dry goods had dwindled since Friday night, leading to suspension of sales on Saturday. Despite the shortage, puffed rice is being sold at Tk 68 to Tk 80 per kg, flattened rice at Tk 65 to Tk 70, date molasses at Tk 120 to Tk 135 and sugarcane molasses at Tk 120 to Tk 160 per kg.
Besides, onions is being sold at Tk 580 per 5 kg, and garlic (local variety) at Tk 220 per kg.
Prices of pointed gourd, okra, and bitter gourd increased by Tk 5 to Tk 10 per kg. Onion prices rose by Tk 10 to Tk 15 at retail level while price of green chilli dropped by Tk 80 to Tk 200 per kg on Saturday.
In addition to sudden crisis of dry food and some essntials, communication on Dhaka-Chattogram highway has been severely disrupted by flooding between Feni and Cumilla, reducing the volume of export goods arriving in Chattogram by 35 percent just in one day. Uncertainty looms large over transportation of goods forcing importers to delay in clearing goods from Chattogram Port. However, operations at the port remain normal.
Floods have also halted rail communications between Dhaka and Chattogram, affecting the supply chain of goods. Usually 96 percent of containers imported and exported through Chattogram Port are transported via Dhaka-Chattogram highway, with only 3 percent by rail and less than 1 percent by waterways.
The reduced transportation of goods has also impacted the country’s largest consumer goods market in Chattogram’s Khatunganj, where most imported goods arrive via land ports.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has urged businessmen to refrain from making excessive profits by inflating prices. CAB also urges them to extend support to those affected by floods.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief reports that floods have claimed 15 lives and affected at least 4,869,299 people in 11 districts.
