A mobile court of Chattogram district administration has started drives to control the onion market due to the rampant increase in prices within a few hours across the country.
Two traders- Meher Ali Traders and Mohammad Ali Ahmad Traders were fined TK20,000 for selling onions at an increased rate and for irregularities such as not keeping receipts.
Market monitoring team and a mobile court conducted the drive from 3 pm to 6 pm under the supervision of Chattogram District Administration’s Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Md Omar Faruk in the Khatunganj area on Sunday.
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Faruk said that this drive would continue to curb onion prices.
“Apart from imposing fines on various shops, monitoring will continue. Additionally, efforts are going on to ensure that the prices of consumer goods do not increase under the pretext of reduced supply,” he said.
According to some traders, they need to sell onions at higher prices due to increased demand. Retail traders claim that they are compelled to buy from the wholesale market at a higher price.
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The receipts collected from wholesale shops indicate that Soumik Traders, Abul Bashar & Sons, M/s Mohammad Farid Uddin, and M/s Jannatul Mawa are selling at wholesale prices ranging from Tk 175 to Tk 198 per kg.
It was reported that traders are selling onions at high prices in Khatunganj, Chaktai, and Pahartali markets.