Cox’s Bazar’s traditional Boro Bazar was bustling with shoppers on Friday as residents took advantage of the weekly holiday to buy fresh vegetables and other household essentials.
The vegetable market remained crowded from morning until noon, with traders reporting brisk business amid an abundant supply of locally grown seasonal produce.
A visit to the market found stalls well stocked with vegetables brought from different parts of the district and neighbouring upazilas. Seasonal produce, including bottle gourd, pumpkin, ridge gourd, snake gourd, okra, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, brinjal, cucumber, green chillies, yardlong beans, taro, papaya and a variety of leafy vegetables, was available in ample quantities.
Market prices on Friday showed brinjal selling at Tk 60–70 per kilogramme, pointed gourd at Tk 50–60, okra at Tk 50–60, bitter gourd at Tk 70–80, ridge gourd at Tk 50–60, snake gourd at Tk 40–50, yardlong beans at Tk 80, cucumber at Tk 40–50 and green chillies at Tk 120–140 per kilogramme.
Bottle gourds were selling for Tk 60–90 each, while pumpkins, depending on size, were priced between Tk 80 and Tk 150 each. Leafy vegetables were being sold at Tk 10–25 per bunch.
Vegetable trader Abdullah said Friday usually attracted significantly more customers than other days of the week because of the public holiday.
“Sales have been excellent since the morning. Prices of some vegetables are fluctuating slightly depending on weather conditions and the volume of supplies arriving from different areas,” he said.
Several shoppers said they preferred to complete their weekly grocery shopping on Fridays.
They noted that although fresh vegetables were widely available, prices of green chillies and a few other items remained relatively high. However, they expressed satisfaction that prices of most vegetables had remained stable compared with previous weeks.
Traders said favourable weather over the coming days could boost local production further, increasing market supplies and potentially easing prices. Friday’s brisk trading reflected strong demand as well as a healthy supply of seasonal produce.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
