Prices of almost everything up in three months: low-income families in Thakurgaon run out of money before month's end

Working people in Thakurgaon have been left bewildered by rising prices of daily essentials. From day labourers to private-sector employees, everyone has the same complaint: the money runs out before the month ends, forcing many to borrow.

Dabirul Islam (45) earns 400 to 500 taka a day working as a day labourer on other people's land, but he does not get work every day. With four children in a six-member family, his days pass in hardship. On days he finds no work, he must borrow to cover food and other family expenses, or cut necessary spending to get by.

Dulal Haque (37), on the other hand, works at a private NGO. He lives in a rented home in Thakurgaon town with his wife and two sons. Despite receiving a monthly salary, he struggles to cover his two children's education, house rent, electricity and water bills and food costs. His salary runs out before the month ends.

Dabirul's income depends on finding work, while Dulal's rests on a fixed monthly salary. Their professions and income types differ, but their crisis is the same — covering the prices of essentials has made managing the family's other expenses difficult.

Such a picture emerged on Friday (October 23) from visits to Kalibari Bazar, Road Bazar, Bus Stand Bazar and Godhuli Bazar in Thakurgaon town and conversations with buyers and sellers. According to market sources, prices of several products have risen over the last three months. Although early winter vegetables have begun arriving and some vegetable prices have fallen, there is no relief in overall market expenditure.

Guti rice is currently selling at 50 taka per kg in Thakurgaon, Suman Sarna at 55 taka, 28 rice at 55 taka and Miniket at 65 taka. In the wholesale market, the price of each 50-kg sack of rice has risen by 80 to 100 taka in three months. Lentils sell at 150 taka per kg, hybrid coarse lentils at 90 taka, chickpeas at 110 taka and anchor dal at 60 taka; lentil prices have risen by about 10 taka per kg in three months.

Loose soybean oil sells at 210 taka per litre and bottled soybean oil at 204 taka for one litre. In three months, loose oil has gone up by 8 to 10 taka per litre and bottled oil by 5 taka.

Early winter vegetables such as beans, cauliflower and radish have started arriving in the market, bringing various vegetable prices down by about 5 to 10 taka per kg. But buyers say brinjal, pointed gourd, teasel gourd, sponge gourd and bitter gourd remain comparatively expensive. Sweet pumpkin, bottle gourd, okra, raw banana and Malabar spinach are also putting pressure on their budgets.

Chicken prices have also risen notably. Broiler chicken now sells at 160 taka per kg, Sonali at 310 taka and local chicken at 550 taka. In three months, broiler prices rose by 10 to 20 taka per kg, Sonali by 30 to 60 taka and local chicken by 50 to 80 taka. Three months ago, broiler was 140-150 taka, Sonali 250-280 taka and local chicken 470-500 taka per kg.

During this period, mutton prices rose by 50 to 100 taka per kg and beef by 50 to 80 taka. Mutton now sells at 1,050 taka per kg and beef at 750 taka. Fish prices have also risen by 30 to 80 taka per kg depending on species. Eggs cost 44 taka per four and 130 taka per dozen; traders say egg prices have fluctuated over the past month.

Traders claim that higher fuel prices and transport costs have raised the expense of moving goods, affecting retail markets as well. Saiful Islam, a retail trader at Kalibari Bazar, said truck trip costs have risen along with fuel prices — an extra 2,000 to 3,000 taka per long-distance truck trip, in some cases nearly double. He said prices of perishable goods mostly depend on yield and supply, and higher transport fares for bringing vegetables from villages to town markets have fed into prices.

Rice trader Hamid said rice prices have risen somewhat in recent months. Rice must be bought at higher prices in the wholesale market, so retail prices are rising too, and higher transport and other costs mean traders also have to spend more than before. But buyers now purchase rice cautiously; he said the price rise is putting pressure on ordinary and low-income buyers.

Day labourers Md Islam, Tariqul and Bhabesh Chandra, who came to shop at the market, expressed anger: 'We earn daily and eat daily. It is hard to run a family on what we earn each day. Prices of almost everything, from rice, lentils and oil, are high. We have to calculate carefully at the market, yet still cannot buy everything we need. Income does not rise with market prices. If prices keep rising like this, how will ordinary people like us run our families? Even surviving with our families is becoming difficult.'

ASM Masum-ud-Doula, assistant director of the Thakurgaon office of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, said prices of essentials in the market are being monitored regularly. If any trader raises prices unreasonably, fails to display a price list or sells at excessive prices, action will be taken under the law based on complaints and evidence. He said drives and monitoring to protect consumer interests are continuing, and urged consumers to complain to the directorate if they are charged more than the fixed price.