Garlic and ginger, the two main cooking ingredients prices of which had increased significantly before Ramadan, became costlier last week, hitting hard the consumers who have already been burdened with rising prices of other commodities in the holy month.
Meanwhile, beef was selling above the rates fixed by the government for Ramadan.
Traders have attributed the increasing costs of garlic and ginger to the rising demands of the spices and a hike in import costs.
On the other hand, market observers have blamed a syndicate in the market for the rising prices of the two spices.
Ginger, both local and imported varieties, was selling at Tk 120-150 a kg on Friday, marking a 10 per cent hike in one week, according to kitchen market sources.
Garlic of imported variety was trading at Tk 120-150 per kg and the local variety at Tk 80-100 a kg at retail markets, registering a 10-19 per cent hike in a week, said state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
However, prices of onion, another prime cooking ingredient, remained more or less static at Tk 28-35 a kg.
Abdur Rashid Mithu, a grocer at Dhanmondi Road No 15, told the FE that prices of spices like garlic and ginger witnessed a sharp rise in the last two weeks at the wholesale markets.
Chinese garlic price increased to Tk 112 a kg at Shyambazar on Thursday, up from Tk 90 per kg two weeks back, he mentioned.
Spice prices may witness a further jump before Eid which is likely to be celebrated on June 7 after the month-long fasting of Ramadan comes to an end.
Contacted, Shyambazar-based importer Narayan Chandra Saha said the demand for imported garlic and ginger has increased ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims.
He said production of local ginger declined significantly amid unfavourable weather while import cost of the produce increased by 20-30 per cent in the last two months.
Import cost of Chinese garlic also increased during this period, he noted.
He said imported garlic price was US $1,150-1,180 per tonne for the last two months which was below $1,000 earlier.
"(The) price of local garlic, however, is much lower now which is a good option for consumers," he observed.
"But most of the people like to buy Chinese garlic," he said.
He said local garlic varieties were selling at Tk 58 to Tk 62 per kg at Shyambazar on Thursday which were being retailed at more than Tk 80.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said traders' syndicate is desperate to raise prices ahead of the Eid amid a lack of market monitoring.
He urged the government to ensure strict monitoring to keep the prices of essentials within the purchasing capacity of the commoners.
He said the government has almost failed to implement the fixed prices for red-meat including beef and goat meat (khasi).
Though beef prices witnessed a slight decline by Tk 20-25 a kg but still it was selling at prices above the rates set by the two city corporations of Dhaka.
The government fixed rate for beef is Tk 500-525 a kg for the Ramadan month but the essential protein item was retailing at Tk 525-Tk 580 a kg, according to market sources.
Prices of broiler chicken and some vegetables showed a downward trend in the last seven days.
Indigenous and Sonali varieties of chicken and fish prices remained static maintaining their previous high.
