Soybean rises, vegetables fall, rice static

Dhaka, Jan 11 (bdprem.com) – The price of soybean oil in the market registered another round of rise Friday, the day the Fakhruddin-led caretaker government completes one year in office. Soybean oil sold at Tk 120 a litre in different retail markets in the capital from around Tk 100 a lire last week. The vegetables prices came down and the rice prices were static compared with last week. A visit to the Karwan Bazar, New Market, Palashi kitchen Market, Mohammadpur Town Hall and Mohammadpur Krishi Market revealed that 500 ml and 900 ml soybean of different brands were selling at Tk 60 and 110 respectively. So a litre of soybean price stands at Tk 120. In the fair price shops run by BDR, loose soybean oil was selling at Tk 84 a one litre, a two-litre bottle at Tk 176 and a five-litre bottle Tk 435. Taxi driver Abul Kalam who came to buy soybean oil at Mohammadpur Krishi Market was peeved. "The government held the syndicate responsible for oil price hike after coming to power. But now who is responsible for the oil price rise? It appears we'll have to do without soybean oil in future." Nurul Islam, who works at a private firm, said, "Today is the first anniversary of the government. But the irony is that today we are buying soybean oil at Tk 120 per litre, rice at Tk 48 per kg and lentil Tk 90 per kg." Open market sale (OMS) of rice through dealers started from Wednesday but its impact was not felt in the retail market. There was no rush in the BDR fair price shops where rice was being sold at Tk 25 per kg Friday. However, in the others shops a kg of miniket fine rice was priced at Tk 44 to 46 a kg and normal miniket at Tk 40. Nazirshail was selling between Tk 40-44 and Dinajpur variety of Nazirshail at Tk 43-44 a kg. BR 28 and Lata 28 were selling at Tk 29 and Tk 40 per kg, Pari at Tk 33-35 and Paijam at Tk 34. Irri guti, the lowest-quality rice variety in the market, known as coarse rice, was selling at Tk 33 per kg. The rice prices in these markets were the same a week ago. "Rice price has fallen on TV news and in newspapers. The price remained high as usual in the market. We have doubt whether the rice price would come down, if ever," Zahurul Hossain, who came to buy rice at Karwan Bazar, said to bdnews24.com. In the retail market the vegetables prices fell over last week. A kg of bean sold at Tk 14, green chillies at Tk 32, potato at Tk 14, tomato at Tk 18, radish at Tk 6, carrot at Tk 14, papaya at Tk 10, Shalgom at Tk 6, aubergine (round) at Tk 18, aubergine (long) at Tk 14, gourd at Tk 18, Ucche at Tk 20, long beans at Tk 20 and green tomato at Tk 8. A piece of cauliflower sold at Tk 12m and cabbage at Tk 10. A bunch of Lal Shak and Palong Shak was selling at Tk 3 and Daata Shak at Tk 2-4. "We should thank our stars that the vegetable prices have remained low. Otherwise, common people would not be able to get two square meals a day," Alamgir Hossain, who came to Palashi kitchen market, said. Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation was selling toxic formalin-free fish in covered vans at different city points. It sold big-size hilsha at Tk 260 per kg, Katla at Tk 170, Boal at Tk 200, Ruhi at Tk 110, Tilapia at Tk 100 and Ayir at Tk 240 per kg. However, these fishes were sold at almost the same price at other retail markets.