Alam Sarowar Tito, Kishoreganj :
The rising cost of most of the essential commodities is exacerbating the financial difficulties of middle and low-income people in the country. There is no good news from from Kishoreganj ‘s kitchen market as daily commodities orice went beyond of fixed income group and poor people buying capacity put them into hardship to maintain their daily life.
DC in Kishoreganj Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad said the administration is conducting the drives at kitchen markets. DC addressed a monthly district coordination meeting at local Collectorate Conference room on Sunday. Through the government is strictly monitoring the kitchen market but failed to control the powerful syndicates. Hoarders are pricing high of essentials creating artificial crisis. This week, the price of eggs and farm chickens in the kitchen market increased even more, adding to people’s woes. Chicken and eggs are important protein sources for low and middle-income people, but rising prices of the items are exacerbating their financial difficulties.
Prices of broiler chickens, sonali chickens, and eggs have increased in the last couple of weeks.
Apart from these, prices of almost all daily essential commodities have shot up in the kitchen market and remained beyond the purchasing capacity of low and middle-income people.
In Kishoreganj, after visiting kitchen markets and talking with the consumers, the reporters gathered experience that people are cutting consumption of protein to adjust with inflation price hike.
The prices of broiler, Sonali chicken, eggs, chickpeas, palm oil, loose atta, some vegetables, and chilies increased further at the kitchen market last 10 days. The prices of atta, sugar, green chilli, spices, milk powder, oil, garlic, ginger, and dry chilli remained as high as they were in the previous.
It has also been observed that some people returned empty-handed from the market after hearing the exorbitant prices of some essential commodities. Abdul Hye, a consumer at Bara Bazar kitchen market, said that he bought broiler chicken for Tk. 260 per kg.
The price of broiler chickens has increased to Tk 260 per kg from Tk 220 in a week, marking a Tk 40 per kg further hike and a Tk. 40 per kg rise in a month. Sonali chicken prices increased to Tk. 350 per kg from Tk 300 -310 per kg in 10 days. Farm egg prices at Tk 150 dozen, in a week, further rising by Tk. 25.
Fazlu Miah, a chicken trader in Bara Bazar, said the supply of chicken and eggs declined in the wholesale market because of its price increase. There are not a single vegetable which is possible to buy under at Tk.50; and fish under Tk.220 per kg.
The civil societies blamed a lack of market monitoring and surveillance for the price spiral. Some unscrupulous businessmen are increasing the price of essentials. They also said, powerful syndicates rules in kitchen markets.
