Shopping has picked up significantly at Boro Bazar in Cox’s Bazar ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. From morning to late evening, the market is experiencing a surge of customers purchasing essential items for iftar and sehri. Shops selling rice, lentils, chickpeas, soybean oil, sugar, dates, onions, and garlic are experiencing particularly high pressure.
A visit to the market shows that many shoppers are buying a week’s or even a month’s supply in advance. Hamid, a trader at Hamid Store in Boro Bazar, said masoor lentils are selling at Tk 110 to 130 per kilogram, while chickpeas are priced between Tk 90 and 110 per kilogram. Loose soybean oil is being sold at Tk 170 to 180 per litre, and five-litre bottled oil is priced between Tk 850 and 920. Sugar is selling for Tk 130-145 per kilogram.
Dates, a main iftar item during Ramadan, are priced at Tk 250 to 650 per kilogram, depending on quality. Onions are priced between Tk 70 and 85 per kilogram, while local and imported garlic are selling at Tk 180 to 240 per kilogram.
Hamida Begum, a homemaker at the market, said she is purchasing some items in advance for Ramadan. She noted that while rice and lentil prices seem relatively tolerable, oil and garlic prices appear high. Another customer said daily expenses have increased, and with greater demand for iftar items during Ramadan, prices should remain under control.
Traders said prices for some goods have risen in the wholesale market, which has also affected retail prices. However, they added that the supply of rice, lentils, and chickpeas remains normal.
Despite the surge in shoppers ahead of Ramadan, consumers expect prices of essential commodities to remain stable, underscoring the need for stronger market monitoring.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
