The New Nation - Internet Edition

A.T.M.Nurun Nabi

The projection that Bangladesh is a food deficit country is the first cause of high price of rice. The second cause is the apathy of the government to the plight of the mass, the third cause is that trading in Bangladesh does not follow ethics and morality, and the economics index, and the fourth cause is that India has suddenly raised the price of the exporting rice to taka 500 $ per tonne.

The cause of the fourth cause is that a sense has already grown in the mind of a large section of the traders and the consumers that Bangladesh is dependable on India to feed its people, which India wants to take the advantage thereof.

Truly speaking Bangladesh can import rice at a far cheaper rate from countries like Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. A leading rice trader and importer said, "When we have opportunity to remarkably minimise the importing cost, then why should we not exploit it? A consumer on condition of his name not to be disclosed said, "It is unfortunate that the government has failed to take proper steps from before. They excessively depended on India and now heavily paying the price. "Further, the statement of the food Advisor has added fuel to fire," added he.

Price of different kinds of rice per kilo on Friday morning at Khilgaon Taltola Market was the following:_

Miniket taka 42-44, nazirsail variety taka 36-44, coarse rice taka 33-35 and sunned rice taka 30-31. A retailer said, "The price of the coarse rice may come down with the arrival of new supply from abroad. But it will have no effect on the fine quality of rice."

As for meat, eggs and fish, the picture was as under: -

Mutton taka 280 per kilo, beef taka 180, eggs hen (local) taka 66 per dozen, duck taka 60 and hen (farm) taka 50 only. River shad (hilsha) taka 225, walking fish taka 200, climbing fish taka 160 to 200, scorpion (lancer) fish taka 340, ruhit (salmon) taka 120, batashi taka 200, telapia taka 100, swarputi taka 80, lobster taka 300, tengra taka 240, barbel taka 300.

A young woman said with vacant look, "When the cost of living increases every moment at an abnormal rate, how could we feel comfort? We are worried about the days to come."

The vegetables price has remained almost stable from last week. The same day potato was selling at taka 16 per kilo, an increase of taka 2 to 4 over last week level, papaw taka 10, radish taka 8, bean taka 16, cabbage taka 8 to 12, cauliflower taka 10 to 18, brinjal taka 12 to 20, cucumber taka 14, tomato taka 20, green chili taka 30 to 40, cohlrabi taka 10, balsam taka 28, carrot taka 16 and green pea taka 40 to 48.

As for corn & crops; coarse flour was selling at taka 35 per kilo, flour taka 45, lentil taka 68-84, mash taka 70, green gram taka 68, gram taka 60, pea taka 70, sugar taka 30, onion taka 20-22, garlic taka 50 and ginger taka 60.