Vegetable prices in the capital’s markets have eased somewhat compared with last month, though several varieties remain expensive because they are out of season. Fish, chicken and egg prices, meanwhile, show little sign of coming down, leaving low- and middle-income families under pressure from rising costs of daily essentials.
This picture of essential-goods pricing emerged from a tour of various markets in the capital on Friday, August 21.
A field visit found most vegetables selling for 60 to 80 taka a kilogram. But beans, carrots, tomatoes, eggplant and yard-long beans remain comparatively expensive: beans at 200 taka a kilogram, carrots at 140 taka, tomatoes at 130 taka, eggplant at 120 taka and yard-long beans at 100 taka.
Green chilies are selling at 120 taka, bitter gourd at 80 taka, ridge gourd and snake gourd at 80 taka, spiny gourd at 80 taka, okra at 60 taka, papaya at 40 taka, sponge gourd at 60 taka and radish at 80 taka a kilogram.
Sourav Aman, a private-sector employee shopping at Raysaheb Bazar, said: “Vegetable prices have come down somewhat. But four or five types of vegetables are still very expensive, at 100 to 140 taka. The rest are between 60 and 80 taka, which is reasonable for now. Compared with last month, vegetable prices are somewhat lower.”
Khadimul Islam, a vegetable vendor at Dhupkhola Bazar, said: “Eggplant, beans, carrots, yard-long beans and tomatoes are out of season, so supply is a bit low, which is why those vegetables cost more. Other vegetables have come down compared with before. If it doesn’t rain continuously, prices will stay around this level.”
In the meat market, broiler chicken is selling at 190 taka, sonali chicken at 320 taka and local chicken at 650 taka a kilogram. Beef is selling at 780 to 800 taka a kilogram. There is little relief in the egg market either — a dozen white eggs cost 130 taka and brown eggs 140 to 150 taka, though prices at neighborhood shops have climbed as high as 155 to 160 taka.
Poultry seller Zikrul Azam said: “There’s been little change in chicken prices compared with last week. Today I sold broiler at 190 taka a kilogram. Sonali chicken is also selling at the same 320 taka a kilogram as before.”
Fish prices also remain high. Tilapia is selling at 250 to 260 taka, pangas at 230 to 250 taka, rui-catla at 380 to 420 taka and pabda at 350 to 400 taka a kilogram.
Large rui is selling at 450 to 500 taka, tengra at 700 taka, bhetki at 400 to 550 taka, mrigel at 250 to 300 taka and baim at 600 to 800 taka a kilogram.
Local koi is selling at 700 to 800 taka, farmed koi at 300 taka, poa at 260 taka and shol at 700 taka a kilogram. Farmed shing fish is selling at 300 to 450 taka a kilogram depending on size. Hilsa weighing 900 grams to a kilogram is selling for about 2,500 taka, and hilsa weighing 1.3 kilograms for about 3,000 taka a kilogram.
Makki, a buyer at Narinda Bazar, said: “Coming to buy fish at the market now is genuinely shocking. You can’t find any fish under 250 taka. Even tilapia is selling at 250 taka a kilogram. For middle-income people like us, shopping has become a real struggle.”
Fish seller Shafiq Mia said: “There’s been no major change in fish prices — they’re selling at the same prices as before. Prices might drop 20 to 30 taka one day, only to rise again the next.”
Buyers say fish, chicken and eggs are where they feel the most pressure at the market, as the price of one item eases while another rises. They complain that their income isn’t rising even as market costs climb every day, meaning they can now buy less for the same amount of money than before.
Low- and middle-income buyers say that if the price of daily essentials keeps rising this way, managing household expenses will become even harder.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report