Leaving his chicken shop to his salesman, Abul Kashem rushed to gate-1 of New Market around 11:00am yesterday to buy essentials from a mobile shop of the government’s Open Market Sale programme.

Price of sugar, both loose and packaged, increased by up to Tk 30 per kilogramme at different markets in the capital over the past couple of weeks.

The government today will start selling soybean oil, potatoes, onions, and lentils at subsidised rates in Dhaka to alleviate the suffering of low-income consumers, especially those without TCB family cards.

The price of locally grown onions rose to Tk 150 per kg at retail stores in Dhaka yesterday, up from Tk 140 the day before.

Prices of potatoes and onions have skyrocketed in the kitchen markets.

The commerce ministry yesterday directed the district administrations to ensure sales of potatoes at the government’s fixed rate at the cold storages, according to a statement.

The agriculture ministry has started issuing permits to importers to bring potatoes to control prices

India yesterday imposed a minimum export price of $800 per tonne for onions -- much higher than the prices at which importers were buying.

The import of eggs has been held up because of the delay in getting the negative avian influenza certification from a competent authority.

A month ahead of the Aman harvesting season, prices of rice have gone up by Tk 1 to 3 per kg over the last one week in the capital’s kitchen markets.

Azizul Haque, a resident of Mirpur-14, went to a nearby kitchen market to buy vegetables yesterday morning.

Says commerce minister

The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling essential commodities today among one crore cardholder families across the country, including the capital, for the month of October.

The price of vegetables skyrocketed in the kitchen markets of the capital after the late autumn rain across the country damaged fields.

Newly appointed Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman yesterday said the DMP is capable of rooting out any syndicate behind the price hike of essentials.

The government failed to enforce the price cap on onions and potatoes even for a single day since it issued the order about a month ago.

Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque has admitted that the government has failed to control the prices of onions and potatoes despite taking measures.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling onion at Tk 35 per kilogramme -- nearly one-third of the existing market price -- to family cardholders in Dhaka.

Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque today admitted that the government has failed to control the prices of onions and potatoes despite taking measures

Prices of potato and onion in the capital’s kitchen markets have gone up by at least Tk 3 to Tk 10 per kilogram in the last four days, dealing a further blow to consumers, especially those from low- and middle-income families.