The prices of daily commodities will come down to reasonable levels, but it is not possible overnight, says State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu. The Department of Agricultural Marketing, The Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection, deputy commissioners, upazila executive officers, and all other officials will work in coordination in order to achieve it, he said.

The state minister made the statement following a discussion organised by the Ministry of Commerce at the TCB Building in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar to commemorate the 104th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children’s Day on Sunday.

“When you set something at a reasonable level, it cannot be implemented immediately,” Islam said. “First it was necessary to determine it [the fair value]. For a long time there had been a law, but it was not implemented. We will now coordinate with the Department of Agricultural Marketing, The Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection, UNOs, and DCs. We hope it will reach a reasonable level.”

The Department of Agricultural Marketing had previously determined the production cost and ‘reasonable price’ of 29 domestic agricultural products under the ‘Agricultural Marketing Act 2018’. These prices were set at three stages – production, wholesale, and retail.

The price of imported chickpeas was set at a maximum of Tk 93.50 per kg at the wholesale level and Tk 98.30 at the retail level, and Tk 90.37 at the producer level. Prices for fine red lentils, or musur dal, were fixed at Tk 130.50 per kg on the wholesale stage and Tk 125.35 on the retail stage.

The prices of mung beans, or mugh dal, were set at Tk 158.50 per kg at wholesale and Tk 165 at retail, the prices of black pulse, or mashkalaier dal, was set at Tk 145.30 per kg at wholesale and Tk 166.50 at retail. The prices of thick red lentils were set at Tk 100.20 per kg at wholesale, and Tk 105.50 at retail, and the prices of grass peas, or kheshari dal, at Tk 83.83 per kg at wholesale and TK 92.61 at retail.

The prices of farmed pangas was set at Tk 153.35 per kg at wholesale and Tk 180.87 at retail, the prices of farmed catla fish at Tk 303.09 per kg at wholesale and Tk 353.59 at retail.

The department requested beef to be sold at Tk 631.69 per kg at wholesale and Tk 664.39 per kg at retail. Mutton was sold at Tk 992.58 at wholesale, and Tk 1,003.56 at retail.

Broiler chickens are to be sold at TK 162.69 per kg at wholesale and Tk 175 at retail, while Sonali chickens are to be sold at Tk 256.10 per kg at wholesale, and Tk 262 per kg at retail. Eggs are to be sold at Tk 10.49 per piece at wholesale, and Tk 9.61 per piece at retail.

The wholesale price of domestically grown onion per kg is Tk 53.20, while retail is set at Tk 65 taka. Locally grown garlic is Tk 94.61 per kg at wholesale and Tk 120.81 at retail. Imported ginger is Tk 120.25 per kg wholesale and Tk 180.20 per kg at retail.

Dried chilies are to be sold at Tk 253.26 per kg at wholesale and TK 327.34 per kg at retail. Fresh chilies are sold at Tk 60.20 per kg wholesale and Tk 45.40 at pretail.

Cabbage is sold at TK 23.45 per piece at wholesale and Tk 28.30 per piece at retail, while cauliflower is sold at Tk 24.50 per piece at wholesale and Tk 29.60 at retail. Eggplant prices are set at Tk 49.75 per kg and beans at Tk 48 per kg.

Potato prices were set at Tk 28.55 per kg, tomato at Tk 40.20 per kg, and pumpkin at Tk 23.38 per kg.

Zahidi dates are to be priced at Tk 185.07 per kg, large shrimp at Tk 60. Sagar bananas are to be sold at Tk 29.78 for a bunch of four. The price of gram flour, or besan, is set at Tk 121.30.

“The Department of Agriculture Marketing has set prices of goods,” the state minister said. “The department has its own committees at the district, upazila, and central level. As we conduct market monitoring, we will begin to coordinate this monitoring. Price discoveries won’t happen instantaneously. It will be our responsibility to monitor prices at the production and wholesale and later the retail level.”

“Wherever we go, we speak with bazar committees, with traders, and we encourage them. We are resolving their issues and trying to implement our plan. We are not closing or shuttering stores anywhere. Those who aren’t following the rules at all, those who are selling at the retail or wholesale level will have to show receipts. They must give you a receipt when you buy at retail. If they don’t follow these rules, we will bring them to justice.”