The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The poor are concerned with cost of living, and not with gross domestic programme (GDP), gross national income (GNI), inward remittances, export and import position and government's effort to clean politics from corruptions. But they get frightened when they do not get fertiliser and diesel in time, electricity remains off for hours together, government's subsidy in agriculture do not reach the genuine farmers and flood and natural catastrophe damage standing crops and prices of essentials increase beyond economics index.

Daily income of a day labourer being taka below 100, it is really hard for him to meet the rising expenses if he has a family of four. On Friday last, bean was selling at taka 80 per kilo at Khilgaon Taltola Market, tomato at taka 70, basil at taka 30 and calery at taka 40 only.

The same day at a roadside shop of South Goran, brinjal was selling at taka 36, purbal at taka at taka 30, potato at taka 22 and cucumber at taka 30 only.

The most surprising matter is that green pepper has been selling over taka 100 per kilo since the influx of the back-t0-back floods in August. "Never anyone had such bitter experience before of the selling of green pepper at such an exorbitant price, said Abdullah Akber (not real name), a resident of Shahjahanpur, Dhaka.

Meanwhile, river and sea shad price slightly shows an upward trend though it is still below the level of the price before ban on export to India in July. On Friday last at Khilgaon Taltola Market, a hilsha weighing 1000 grams was selling at taka 250 while climbing fish at taka 200, lancer fish (small size) at taka 350, barbal at taka 300, imported salmom at taka 130, sheat fish at taka 180, golsha at taka 210 and cultured pangas 50 only. However, a poor consumer has an opportunity to buy mola and kachki by bunch at taka 20 to 25 but he stares only at hilsha, sheat, salmon, carp, climbing fish, lancer, barbal and the like.

Though the opening of letters of credit for import of rice has increased, the coarse rice increases by taka one per kilo. It now sells at taka 24 to 26 per kilo. Miniket still sells at taka 32 to 33 and nazirail variety between taka 30 and 35 only. In contrast, the course flour price is elevated to taka 38 per kilo to the dismay of consumers.