Rice prices increased due to various reasons

Sr. Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj :

The price of coarse rice has increased from Tk 150 to 200 per bag of 25 kg in last 10 days due to various reasons including low supply in the market becames of the recent floods. Just a week ago, 50 kg of BR-28 rice fetched Tk 2600. And now consumers have to pay Tk 2850 to buy it.
The traders of Kishoreganj claim that despite the increased demand for coarse rice for relief, the mills are not supplying enough rice. Therefore, wholesale prices have increased. Volunteers buy sacks of rice to distribute in flood -hit areas. As a result, the demand for the product has increased. Unscrupulous traders are taking advantage of this increased demand. At present, coarse rice is being sold in the market at Tk 56 to 58per kg.
Apart from this, the rice shortage is being used as an excuse by the mill owners as usual to increase the prices of all types of coarse rice including Guti, Swarna, and BR-28. In this regard, rice treader Sajib Dor in Bara Bazar, kishoreganj told The New Nation that, due to the flood, the supply of rice has decreased in the markets Besides, some unscrupulous traders and syndicate have stockpiled rice, increasing the price, Sajib Dor added.
Delwar Hossain Dilu, a wholesaler in Kishoreganj ‘s Bara Bazar said that, the flood has destroyed rice and paddy in many mills.It has reduced supply, on other hand, as a resultd of the relief program, the demand increase the price a little higher.
Meanwhile, the situation is similar to the parboiled rice in the rice market. Iri, Atop of Tk 1,800 is being sold at Tk 2,350 Beti of Tk 2,500 at Tk 2,800, and Katari at Tk 3,200 is being sold at Tk 3,400.
Traders complaint that the price of rice is being increased only on the pretext of flood and relief, despite the availability of adequate stocks and the supply system being normal.
The consumer rights organisation, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) in Kishoreganj president Alam Sarowar Tito said, we have seen manipulation with rice rice since a few days ago due to flood, now rice in being taken”.Trickery with rice is not new This anarchy should stop. We hope that the interim government wirh give utmost importance to stop manipulation of the rice market.