The prices of key essentials in the city's kitchen markets maintained their high level following panic buying over the coronavirus pandemic.
During visit to different kitchen markets it was found that even though prices of onion declined a little bit, those of most essential commodities maintained their previous high level.
However, the government agency concerned conducted mobile courts in parts of the city on Saturday and fined some traders Tk 5.0 million for their alleged 'market manipulation'.
Coarse variety of rice was sold at Tk 46-Tk 50 per kilogram while medium quality rice at Tk 52-55, and finer quality rice at Tk 60-Tk 70 a kg on Saturday.
Rice prices increased by 10-31 per cent in last few days following panic buying, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
The current rice price hit two-year high, said TCB.
Sugar prices increased to Tk 70-Tk 75 from Tk 66-Tk 70 a kg earlier.
Potato prices remained static at Tk 25-Tk 35 a kg depending on varieties on Saturday. TCB recorded a 30-33 per cent hike in potato prices in last five days.
Onion prices which went up to Tk 80 a kg on Friday, however, declined to some extent as it was sold at Tk 60-Tk 70 a kg on the day. Price of onion was Tk 42-Tk 50 a kg three days back.
Lentil prices remained static at Tk 85-Tk 95 (coarse) and Tk 120-Tk 145 (finer) a kg on the day.
Egg prices shot up to Tk 115-Tk 120 a dozen in last three days which was Tk 90-Tk 96 earlier.
However, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) led the teams who conducted mobile courts in different markets including Jatrabari and Shyambazar wholesale markets on the day.
RAB teams fined 32 traders Tk 3.0 million at Borobazar in Jatrabari for selling onion and potato at much higher rates than that of their purchase prices.
RAB executive magistrate Sarwar Alam told newsmen that mobile courts were conducted between 6.00 am and 4.00pm on the day.
He said they visited Jatrabari Borobazar Aarat where traders were selling onion at Tk 65 a kg on the day.
"Scrutinising their vouchers, we found that they purchased onion at Tk 17-18 a kg from farmers and sold it at Tk 35 a kg on March 17 and raised its price to Tk 50 a kg on March 19."
He said traders were selling potato at Tk 28 a kg against Tk 10-Tk 12 a kg three days back.
However, the mobile courts forced the traders at Jatrabari and Shyambazar wholesale markets to start selling products at their previous rates.
Meanwhile, a cold storage -- Arshad Ice Factory and Cold Storage located at Jatrabari -- was fined Tk 2.0 million for having fish purchased six years ago.
Manager of the cold storage Uttam Kumar Saha, partners Al Mamun, Pradip Chakrabarty and Md Yusuf were fined for storing such unhygienic food product, said RAB.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said government vigilance should be stepped up in the wholesale market for next two weeks.
He said it is a peak onion, potato and rice harvesting season ended just in January.
He said traders were raising the prices of essentials at their will with an excuse for the outbreak of COVID-19 though there is an ample supply of products like rice, potato and onion in the country now.
He said low income people such as day labourers, small shop owners, hawkers, bus conductors and others are suffering a lot due to price hike.
TCB should intensify its market operation and provide rice, pulses, onion, edible oil, sugar at affordable prices to commoners.
