Students from different institutions under the banner of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement have started bazar monitoring.
They have come forward with the initiative as prices of essential commodities and other materials are about to become unreachable to the people of low and middle-income groups.
According to sources, they are also carrying out campaign against extortion on roads and bazars while supply of vegetables and commodities have also started increasing.
Sources said, due to increased supply and the absence of extortionists on roads, prices of all kinds of vegetables and chicken have decreased in the kitchen markets of the capital.
Traders at the Karwanbazar kitchen market said that vegetable prices have dropped by a minimum of Tk15 per kilogram compared to the last three days while chicken prices have decreased by Tk20 during this time.
"The supply of vegetables has been doubled. Fewer vegetable trucks were arriving earlier due to ongoing turmoil. But the number has started to increase. Additionally, there are no extortionists on the roads, which has led to lower prices," said Solaiman Miah, a vendor at Karwan Bazar.
"Eggplants that I sold for Tk120 three days ago are now Tk80 per kilogram, and pointed gourds that were Tk60 are now Tk40. Each kilogram of vegetables has seen a minimum decrease of Tk15," he added.
In the chicken shops of Karwan Bazar, it was seen that chicken prices have dropped compared to the last three days.
The price of broiler chicken, which was previously Tk190, is now Tk170.
During a visit to Karwan Bazar on Friday morning, a group of around 25 students were seen requesting business owners not to overcharge for their products.
One of the students named Saiman, said, "We have been monitoring the market since 9am. We are asking the traders to display price lists at a visible location. We are also checking the prices at which they have purchased the goods and ensuring they do not overcharge."
A team of 15 youngsters were seen monitoring the Karwan Bazar led by Student Shakhawat Hossain who said, "Traders in the market of the capital are constantly deceiving the buyers by using different coloured lights. The product looks fresh and good under these lights. But when the buyer goes home, it is not the same as what he saw in the market. So we asked to remove such lights and turn on normal lights."
He said he observed green lights are being used in the vegetable market and red lights in the onion market.
Rubel Khandkar, a vegetable vendor at Karwan Bazar, switched off the green lights in his shop and installed normal white lights.
He said, even rotten vegetables look fresh and shiny in green light. If regular monitoring is not done, the traders will use the green lights again. "If everyone uses green light, then I will also remove the white light and turn on the green light," he added.
Mohammed Selim Mia, a vendor at Sreepur Broiler House in Karwan Bazar, said, "Chicken prices have decreased by Tk20 per kilogram in three days. We are selling broiler chicken for Tk170. The supply in the market is good now.
"We appreciate the students' market monitoring," he added.
Rezaul Karim, a shopper, said, "I bought chicken for Tk190 two days ago and today for Tk170. I saw the students monitoring the market very effectively.
"Although they lack experience in this, they are doing well. The government should allow them to monitor regularly," he added.
Mohammed Liton, a wholesale egg seller in Karwan Bazar, said, "The price for 100 eggs has decreased by Tk200. Three days ago, it was Tk1350, and today 100 eggs are being sold for Tk1150."
Md Shakhawat, a student who is leading a 15-member team to monitor Karwan Bazar kitchen market, said, "Traders are deceiving the customers by using colourful lights at different markets of the capital. Products seem fresh and good under these lights, but customers find them to be rotten after reaching home. Traders use green lights for vegetables and red lights for onion. We've told them to use normal lighting."
Rubel Khandker, a vegetable seller at Karwan Bazar, has stopped using green lights and started using normal lights instead. According to him, rotten vegetables seem fresh under green lights.
Rubel expressed worry at the thought that traders will again start using colourful lights once the monitoring by the students stops, saying, "Even I will replace the normal lights with colourful ones if the monitoring doesn't happen regularly."
