Mohammad Rezaul Karim, an official at a ceramic company in Dhaka, is at a loss each time he visits the local kitchen market. “I earn Tk 40,000 a month, but after paying rent and buying daily essentials, I have nothing left for my children’s education, clothes, or medical treatment,” he says. His struggle mirrors that of many middle-income earners in the capital, trying to make ends meet amid relentless price hikes for basic commodities.
From potatoes to onions, rice to chicken, and fish to vegetables, prices of essential goods have surged to alarming levels, with stark variations depending on the neighborhood. Wholesalers at Karwan Bazar distribute to retailers across Dhaka’s areas, yet despite sourcing from the same suppliers, consumers face drastically different costs depending on where they live.
Take Mirpur, for example, where a bottle gourd costs Tk 60-70, while at Bashundhara Gate, the price jumps to Tk 100-110. Similarly, green and red spinach, priced at Tk 20-30 per bundle in Mirpur, sells for Tk 40 in Bashundhara. This trend holds across various vegetables: ladies’ fingers sell for Tk 60-70 per kg in Mirpur, while in Bashundhara, the price spikes to Tk 90. Even brinjal costs Tk 70-80 per kg in Mirpur, but Tk 120 in Bashundhara Gate.
These disparities stretch to other neighborhoods. Areas like Mohammadpur, Motijheel, and Uttara experience similar price gaps, with little regulation in sight. Retailers, it seems, adjust prices based on the perceived economic status of local residents, exploiting the lack of oversight.
The hardest hit, however, are not the middle-income earners forced to tighten their belts but the low-income workers like rickshaw pullers and day laborers. Earning just Tk 500-700 a day, they struggle to afford a single meal after paying for basic food items. “After a full day’s labor, I’m left with nothing. How can I feed my family?” laments one rickshaw puller, capturing the anguish of many struggling to survive in an environment of unchecked inflation.
This price crisis is not limited to Dhaka. Residents of divisional headquarters, districts, and upazilas across the country face similar challenges, as exorbitant price hikes spread nationwide. The cruel irony is that the farmers and growers who produce these essentials are not the ones reaping the benefits of these rising prices. Instead, it’s the hoarders, middlemen, and retailers driving the surge, pocketing profits while both consumers and producers suffer.
As Dhaka’s essential price spiral continues, the need for stronger market regulation and intervention becomes urgent. Without decisive action, more families will be pushed into economic hardship, with low-income workers left with no way to survive.
The time for market reform is now, before inflation’s grip tightens further, leaving behind a city struggling under the weight of rising costs.