Supplies of bottled soybean oil have not returned to normal in Dhaka's retail markets despite a price increase, and one-litre bottles are especially short. Retailers say the refining companies are releasing little bottled oil, that repeated requests to distributors go unanswered, and that most of what arrives is in two- and five-litre bottles. The picture emerged on Friday from a visit to the Shantinagar, New Market and Turag Natun Bazar markets.

Farhad Hossain, shopping at Shantinagar, said traders had raised the bottled price by Tk 5 a litre to Tk 204 only two weeks earlier, with the Ministry of Commerce approving the new rate, yet the oil is not on the shelves. The bottle shortage is pushing up loose oil: loose soybean is selling at Tk 198 to Tk 200 a litre and palm oil at Tk 180 to Tk 185.

Wheat flour has risen as well. The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh's price report shows loose atta up Tk 3 a kilogram and maida up Tk 5 over a month; sellers put the rise higher, with loose atta at Tk 50 from Tk 45 and loose maida at Tk 65–70 from Tk 55–60. Two-kilogram packets of branded maida sell for Tk 160–170, or Tk 80–85 a kilogram. Bakers who announced price rises on cost grounds have held them back for now after a meeting with Commerce Minister Khondaker Abdul Muktadir, where it was decided to verify production and marketing costs.

Within a week, farm red eggs have risen by up to Tk 10 a dozen to Tk 160, while broiler chicken holds at Tk 180–190 a kilogram and sonali at Tk 330–340. Farmed fish prices per kilogram: rui Tk 380–420, katla Tk 400–440, tengra Tk 500–750, pangas Tk 250–300, tilapia Tk 250–280, pabda Tk 400–450 and koi Tk 250–320.

Vegetables are steady at their earlier high levels, but green chilli has jumped to Tk 140–180 a kilogram from Tk 80–120. The simultaneous rise across cooking oil, flour, eggs and chilli adds to the strain on low- and middle-income households.

Based on an Ittefaq report. Source: Ittefaq