There is onion shortage in the markets including Benapole of Sharsha Upazila of Jessore. In this, the price of onion has increased by 30 taka per kg in the space of one night in all markets.
Local businessmen say that since the import of Indian onions has stopped at the private level, suddenly the hoarders of different parts of the country, including Dhaka, are buying all the onions from all these areas. As a result, the markets of these areas are becoming devoid of onions. Because of this, the price of onion is increasing in the Sharsha markets of Jessore.
On Saturday morning (February 10), it was seen on the ground in the Benapole market that onion was retailed at Tk 120 per kg.
Traders say hoarders have become active in the hope of higher profits ahead of Ramadan. But the consumers say, these traders are nothing but excuses, syndicate traders have come up again. In the span of just one night, onions are being sold at the rate of Tk 120 per kg increased by Tk 30 in all markets of Sharsha.
Last Thursday night, onions were sold at the price of 85 to 90 taka per kg in the market. Last week too, onions were sold at Tk 80 per kg in the market.
Milan, a retailer of Benapole market, said that on Saturday morning, he bought wholesale onions at Tk 110 per kg from the local market. He is retailing at Rs.120.
Onion wholesale is being sold at Tk 105 to Tk 110 in various stalls of Sharsha Navaran Bazar. Raju Ahmed, an auctioneer of Navaron Bazar, said that he sold onions at the wholesale rate on Friday at the rate of Tk 105 to Tk 110 depending on the quality. Last Thursday, he sold onions at Tk 90 per kg. Prices will not come down if LC onions are not imported.
Artdar Ataur Rahman said that traders bring and sell onions from Jessore-Chougacha, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Faridpur, Rajbari and Pabna Mokam. But on Thursday and Friday, big businessmen of the country, including Dhaka, suddenly bought onions from those places. As a result, there has been a shortage of onions in Mokam. Dhaka and the country’s big businessmen are creating an artificial crisis ahead of Ramadan.
Onion importer Rafiqul Islam, businessman of Benapole land port, said that the import of Indian onion is currently stopped at the private level. TCB onions are being imported only at the government level. Other times traders and traders of Jessore used to buy onions from Benapole port. Now there are no onions in the port. Onion crisis will not be solved until import is done at the private level.
Meanwhile, Nazrul Islam, a shocked buyer, came to buy onions in the market on Friday. He said that domestic onions were sold at the rate of 90 taka in the market two days ago. It is being sold at 120 with an increase of 30 taka in a day. What happened was that in one night all the onions in the market became empty and increased by 30 rupees per kg. He blames market syndicate traders for this.
He also said that if the government surveillance agencies do not take action against them, they may have to buy onions for Tk 200 during fasting.
Hemant Kumar Sarkar, Deputy Assistant Officer of Benapole Checkpost Plant Disease Control Center, said that the price of onion is increasing in the country’s market due to the suspension of imports at the private level for a long time. If the import from India starts, the price of onion in the market will come under control.
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