Prices of coarse rice, fish, sugar and loose edible oil showed a hike last week, intensifying woes of common consumers.
Prices of flour, chicken, egg, onion, vegetables and other essentials maintained their previous highs, according to kitchen market sources.
Coarse rice price, which witnessed a slight decline, shot up again to Tk 54-56 a kg in the city's retail markets.
Finer rice price remained the same at previous high of Tk 75-98 a kg, while medium rice price also showed a static trend and was retailed at Tk 58-65 a kg.
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded a 5.0 per cent hike in coarse rice price in a week, while the current price is above 11 per cent higher than that of a year ago.
Fall in local supply as well as low import caused the price hike, said Abdul Mazid Bablu, an Ishwardi-based rice miller.
He said supply of hybrid and other coarse rice varieties from the last Boro and Aman seasons almost came to an end.
Production in Aus season was also minimal, which could hardly create impact in the market, he noted.
Besides, rice import is yet to get momentum amid rise in global grain price and appreciation of USD against Bangladesh currency.
There is little chance of decline in rice price before the beginning of Aman harvest next month, he added.
According to the Ministry of Food, a total of 0.184 million tonnes of rice were imported so far in the current financial year, 2022-23.
Private sector brought 0.16 million tonnes of rice until October 19 against the permission to import 1.4 million tonnes within December this year.
The traders are bringing only 1,600 tonnes of rice a day against 90,000 tonnes of daily demand, whereas the government brought nearly 24,000 tonnes of rice, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, prices of all kinds of fish witnessed a hike last week due to supply crunch amid the routine fishing ban in major sanctuaries under the government's hilsa conservation programme, said traders.
Prices of cultured fishes witnessed Tk 20-30 a kg further hike, while those of indigenous fishes also showed Tk 40-100 a kg hike.
Loose sugar price hit Tk 95-100 a kg while packet sugar Tk 95-105 a kg in the groceries.
Loose soybean oil was sold at much higher rates than the government-fixed rate. It was sold at Tk 168-172 a litre against the government rate of Tk 158 a litre.
Flour, chicken, egg, onion, vegetables and other essentials' prices remained static, maintaining their previous highs.
Farm egg was sold at Tk 148-150 a dozen, Pakistani chicken and duck egg at Tk 170-180 a dozen on Thursday, according to kitchen market sources.
Prices of most of the vegetables remained high, and were retailed at Tk 60-100 a kg, whereas tomato, local bean and carrot were sold at Tk 120-150 a kg on the day.
