To break the market syndicate, the Students Against Discrimination movement has begun selling vegetables at fair prices in Chattogram. In some cases each vegetable is being sold Tk 30 to 35 cheaper.

The students began selling vegetables at Bahaddarhat crossing in the city from 5pm on Monday. The report gives the date as 21 September.

People queued at length to buy the vegetables at prices lower than in local markets. The students said they would keep selling vegetables this way until the market situation comes under control.

Russell Ahmed, a central coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination movement, said: "Ten kinds of vegetables have been brought from marginal farmers in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar district. Among them, bitter gourd is being sold at Tk 80, aubergine Tk 55, okra Tk 55, cucumber Tk 35, papaya Tk 30, bottle gourd Tk 40 a piece, taro Tk 60, gourd Tk 40 and sweet pumpkin Tk 50."

Yasir, a coordinator at Chittagong University, said: "We are buying these goods from farmers in Chakaria and selling them very cheaply. We are selling them at a profit of Tk 5 over the purchase price so that we can cover the transport cost."

Nazmul Alam, who came to buy vegetables, said bitter gourd was selling for Tk 120 at the nearby market but Tk 80 here, and aubergine was Tk 55 here while it sold for Tk 120 to 130 in the market.

Earlier, from Thursday, the students had begun selling eggs in the open market in Chattogram's Bahaddarhat area at Tk 140 a dozen to break the syndicate. Egg prices then began to fall across the city.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.