Our Correspondent

CHITTAGONG, June 14: Most of the essentials including vegetables, powdered milk, pulses, edible oil, fish, meat and eggs are being sold at exorbitant prices in almost all the kitchen markets of the port city and elsewhere of the district.

On visiting different markets and talking to both buyers and sellers, it is gathered that excepting rice of ordinary quality, all sorts of essential goods are now being sold at higher prices caring little of buying capacity of the commoners.

While the price of wheat has dropped to Tk 16 to Tk 18 per kilogram (kg), price of non-packed flour still stands at Tk 26 to Tk 27 and that of packed flour ranges from Tk 32 to Tk 35 per kg. Price of imported lentil varies from Tk 100 to Tk 110 while that of ordinary quality also remains above Tk 90 per kg.

Almost all the vegetable items are being sold at exorbitant prices. Price of potato has exceeded all record, which is now being sold at Tk 26 to 28 per kg. Sellers are realising Tk 25 to Tk 28 for each kg of brinjal and patol from the buyers while the price of kakrol and long bean have exceeded Tk 34.

Excepting a few items of fishes like Pangash and Lotia, other items are quite beyond the buying capacity of the commoners. Local Ruhi is being sold at Tk 180 to 200 per kg while that of imported one is being sold at Tk 150 to Tk 160 per kg.

Mutton and beef are still being sold at Tk 360 and Tk 280 per kg respectively and price of broiler chicken is not likely to decline below Tk 120.