Rice gets costlier as fuel prices up
Staff Correspondent, Kishoreganj
Rising rice prices have added to the financial pressure on low-income households in Kishoreganj, with different varieties becoming costlier over the past two weeks amid higher transportation costs, rising paddy prices and seasonal factors.
Prices of tomatoes, onions and potatoes also remained high, while some other vegetables became cheaper. Edible oil, sugar and eggs continued to sell at their already high prices, according to local kitchen market traders.
A visit to Bara Bazar, Kachari Bazar and Purana Thana kitchen markets on Friday found that fine rice was selling at Tk80-85 per kg, up from Tk73-75 two weeks ago.
Medium-grain rice, commonly consumed by lower-income households, was selling at Tk65-72 per kg, compared with Tk62-68 previously. Coarse rice prices, however, remained unchanged at Tk55-60 per kg.
The latest increase comes amid persistently high inflation. The 12-month average inflation rate stood at 8.65% in September, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). This figure reflects average inflation over the preceding 12 months rather than the rate of price increases in September alone.
Mohitur Rahman, a retired military subedar, said repeated increases in the prices of essential commodities were making it increasingly difficult for households to manage their expenses.
“There is no month when the price of some essential item isn’t going up. Amid this already high cost of living, the rise in rice prices will put even more pressure on us,” he said.
Sajib Dhar, a wholesaler at Bara Bazar, said the wholesale price of fine rice had increased by Tk2 per kg.
A 25-kg sack of fine rice now costs Tk2,000-2,200, while a sack of medium-grain rice sells for Tk1,450-1,700, he said.
He added that transporting a truckload of rice from Kushtia to Kishoreganj, which previously cost Tk24,000-26,000, now costs Tk30,000-32,000 following the fuel price hike.
Paritosh Pall, another wholesaler at the same market, said seasonal factors were also contributing to the price increase, as the harvesting of Aman paddy had only recently begun in several districts.
However, rice prices remain slightly lower than they were at the same time last year, he added.
According to media reports and Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data, coarse rice sold for Tk55-65 per kg around the same time last year, while fine rice cost Tk75-85, depending on quality.
The recent fuel price adjustment could increase the transportation cost of rice from northern Bangladesh to Kishoreganj by up to Tk60 per kg, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Kishoreganj said.
CAB called on the authorities concerned to strengthen market monitoring to prevent unjustified price increases. It also urged the government to strengthen oversight of rice milling hubs and wholesale markets to ensure traders do not use higher transportation costs as an excuse for excessive price hikes.
