Flour, chicken and ginger became pricier again last week, further battering common customers, already in a fix following rocketing trend of all essential commodities.
Both packet and loose coarse flour (atta) and finer flour (maida) witnessed a further hike of Tk 2.0 a kg, according to groceries.
The maximum retail price (MRP) of branded maida reached Tk 75 a kg, while MRP of packet atta hit Tk 65 a kg.
Loose maida was retailed at Tk 64-66 a kg and loose atta at Tk 55-56 a kg on Friday.
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded a 3.0-7.0-per cent hike in flour prices in a week, while the current prices are 52-60-per cent higher compared to those of a year ago.
Broiler chicken price, which showed a slight decline in the last week of September, witnessed a hike, and was sold at Tk 180-190 a kg on Friday, showing Tk 20 a kg hike in a week.
Pakistani and Sonali chicken prices also witnessed Tk 20-30 a kg hike and hit Tk 330-340 a kg in the retail markets on the day.
Prices of ginger, both imported and local, reached this year's record high of Tk 220-240 a kg amid low import, said traders.
Meanwhile, prices of rice, beef, mutton, fish, vegetables and other items remained static, maintaining their previous high level.
The government had reduced prices of soybean and palm oils last week, but those were still selling at their previous highs.
The government fixed MRP of branded soybean oil at Tk 178 a litre and loose soybean oil at Tk 158 a litre.
"But bottled soybean oil is still selling at Tk 185-192 a litre and loose soybean oil at Tk 170-175 a litre, as most of the groceries are yet to get new bottles and oil drums from distributors," said Ali Jubayer, owner of a grocery at Katasur in Mohammadpur.
Palm oil's new price was set as Tk 125 a litre, but was sold at Tk 140-150 a litre on Friday, according to kitchen market and grocery sources in the city.
