Editorial, News & commercial office:
55/A, H M Siddique Mansion (Level-7), Purana Paltan, Motijhel C/A, Dhaka-1000. Phone: +8802226640056,
e-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Retail prices across all varieties of rice have registered an upward climb across kitchen markets in Bangladesh's capital, driven by escalating truck freights following fuel price revisions alongside mill-gate rate increases. Over the past week to ten days, fine rice varieties rose by Tk 2 to Tk 3 per kilogram, while medium-grade grains saw a hike of Tk 1 to Tk 2 per kilogram. Adding to household strain, local onions, garlic, and loose soybean oil recorded price bumps, while broiler chicken and commercial farm eggs continued to trade at elevated plateaus.
The market trend emerged during field visits across key retail hubs on Thursday (October 8), including Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Town Hall Market, and Agargaon Taltola Market.
Retail data indicated that branded Miniket varieties experienced a hike of Tk 2 to Tk 3 per kg. Diamond, Monjur, and Sagor brands were retailing between Tk 74 and Tk 75 per kg, up from Tk 72 a week ago. Rashid Miniket was selling at Tk 65 per kg, while Mozammel Miniket advanced to Tk 76 per kg. Depending on quality and grading, fine Nazirshail varieties were priced between Tk 70 and Tk 95 per kg, registering an identical increase of Tk 2 to Tk 3 per kg.
According to market monitoring data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), medium varieties such as Paijam, BR-28, and BR-29 rose by up to Tk 3 per kg to sell between Tk 58 and Tk 65. Coarse rice varieties, however, remained unchanged at Tk 50 to Tk 55 per kg.
Traders explained that following fuel hikes, inter-district freight costs rose by Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 per truck trip. Because rice involves multiple transport segments—from paddy procurement to milling hubs and wholesale storehouses—the cumulative freight pressure impacted wholesale prices. Furthermore, with paddy prices firming up across trading hubs like Naogaon, mill owners raised Katari rice prices by Tk 50 per 50-kg sack. Retailers, however, alleged that an absence of effective market surveillance enabled wholesalers to jack up prices disproportionately beyond actual freight increases.
Beyond rice, local onion prices climbed by Tk 5 within a week to reach Tk 55 to Tk 60 per kg. Garlic prices escalated by Tk 20 to Tk 30 per kg. Citing supply bottlenecks in bottled cooking oil, loose soybean oil rose by Tk 5 per liter over the last two weeks. In the protein segment, broiler chicken held steady at a steep Tk 200 per kg, while commercial farm eggs remained pegged at Tk 150 to Tk 155 per dozen, compounding living costs for fixed- and middle-income families.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/metro/1f1c399e-ca9a-6730-aa39-2928c7ca946d