Lentils prices go up again

Known as the poor’s protein, prices of coarse lentils soared Tk 10 per kilogram to Tk 115 in the city’s kitchen markets in a span of a week.

of three important cooking ingredients--onion, garlic and oil ---have also increased in the week. The price of a kilogram of coarse and fine lentils increased by Tk 5 to Tk 10 at the same time.

Now, a kg of coarse lentils is being sold at Tk 105 to Tk 115 as against its last week’s prices of Tk 105 to Tk 110.

However, one kilogram of fine grained lentils is selling at Tk 135, up Tk 5 than the earlier week. The medium grained lentil also jumped Tk 5 within a week, according to the price chart of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).

While visiting several kitchen markets including Kawran Bazar, the Business Insider Bangladesh found the lentils price is higher than that of the TCB chart.

While talking to the reporter on Indira Road at Farm-gate vicinity, Obaidul Haque, a private service holder, said he had bought one kg of fine lentils at Tk 130 last week and he had to pay Tk 140 on Thursday for the same amount of lentils.

“Everything is getting more expensive day by day. Our survival taking pulses-rice twice a day is getting tough,” he said.

One Abdul Gaffar, a driver by profession, said he came to buy a kg of fine lentils but at last he bought coarse ones considering the price. “Those who are rich have no worries. The worry is only for those of us who belong to the low income group. We have to survive first,” he said.

Rafiqul Islam came to buy some daily commodities at Kawran Bazar Kitchen market from Raja Bazar, said prices of all commodities have gone up in the market.

“We lose eagerness to buy anything when we see such price spirals. The price of everything is soaring so quickly at a time when income is falling. What will we do?” he said.