Rights gr blames ‘manipulation’ as onion prices double in a year

The prices of onion have edged down, but the near-indispensable cooking ingredient in Bangladeshi households is still selling at double the price it was in the same period last year.
On Saturday, the local variety of onion was selling at Tk 70 to 75 a kilogramme at Karwan Bazar and other kitchen markets in the capital. Even one variety was selling at Tk 80.
The price marked a little drop as the vegetable sold at Tk 100 per kg a few weeks ago, reports bdnews24.com.
According to the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, the price of this variety of onion was Tk 35 to 40 by the end of the season a year ago.
Traders have claimed the prices rose due to a lack of supply by the end of the season, but consumer rights activists disagree.

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh or CAB Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain blamed ‘market manipulation’ for the hike in onion prices.
“The expenditures never rose this an awful lot with the aid of the stop of the season, and there is no dearth of provide in the country. Then we ought to expect that there is a big syndicate in the grant chain manipulating the market,” he said.
Nazer additionally stated the government was ‘full of sympathy toward the merchants who have been making the most of it”. “The authorities desires to make a assertion on the issue,” he said.
Abdus Sattar, a rice trader in Mirpur, expressed ire, saying the media created an outcry when the rice expenses rose, however has remained silent in case of onion. “There is no lack of supply, then why are the expenses rising?” he asked.
Traders stated the shoppers would have to wait every other month for the onion expenditures to drop after the arrival of the of new harvest.