Essentials Price increases ahead of Ramadan
Sr Staff Reporter:
Usually, monitoring of the consumer goods market begins at least 30 days (one month) before Ramadan. This time, no significant initiatives have been taken for market monitoring activities due to referendum and national election -’26. In view of which, the wholesale market of daily necessities has started to rise around Ramadan. While prices are low in the global market, there has also been sufficient imports into the country.
Despite this, the prices of major consumer goods have increased in the wholesale market a month ago. Market stakeholders fear that this may affect the prices in the retail market during Ramadan, which is scheduled to begin in mid-February.
Kishoreganj ‘s Bhairab Bazar and Bara Bazar , the two wholesale market for consumer goods. Although the consumer goods market has been declining or stable for several months, the market has been on the rise for a week. The prices of Ramadan-centric products such as edible oil, sugar and pulses have increased significantly. The prices of wheat and rice have also increased.
Market participants say that recently the government has increased the customs duty on almost all land ports of the country by 5 percent. Due to which the prices of Indian products have started increasing. Again, the increase in Chittagong charges, the disruption of the unloading process due to the shortage of lighterage ships a month before Ramadan, have led to a temporary crisis in the supply chain of products.
Especially in the last few days, the prices of open soybean oil, sugar and pulses have increased significantly.
Regarding the matter, ADC(General) of Kishoreganj, Mizabe Rahmat told the New Nation that , “We have already held a meeting with business communities, they have assured that the consumer goods market will remain stable during this Ramadan.
Recently, instead of market supervision due to the LP gas crisis, a gas cylinder-centric campaign has been conducted. As Ramadan approaches, initiatives will be taken to increase consumer goods-centric supervision activities.”