Dhaka, Sep (V7N) – The National Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection conducted a special operation against the rising prices of hilsa in the wholesale markets of the capital, Dhaka. The operation, which took place in the Caravan Bazaar and Jatrabari areas on Wednesday morning, resulted in five traders being fined a total of Tk 42,000 for price manipulation and irregularities.

Abdul Jabbar Mandal, Assistant Director of the Dhaka District Office of Consumer Rights, led the operation, uncovering evidence that hilsa was being sold at inflated prices without proper sales receipts. This practice has allowed retailers to further increase prices, pushing the cost of hilsa out of reach for many consumers.

“There is doubt whether the prices at which wholesalers (artaddars) are selling hilsa are reasonable,” Jabbar Mandal remarked. He stressed that traders should be making reasonable profits, not exploiting the market.

Consumers and officials alike suspect that the recent price hike is linked to the government's decision to export 3,000 hilsa fish to India. This news has led to an increase in prices by Tk 200-300 per kilogram, prompting officials to take action.

Mandal noted that retail traders have been purchasing hilsa at Tk 1,550 per kilogram and selling it for as much as Tk 2,200, an excessive markup of Tk 650. He lamented the "sad picture of excessive greed for profit," which has made hilsa increasingly unaffordable for average consumers.

The operation revealed other irregularities as well, including weight manipulation, with some traders taking advantage of consumers by reducing the weight of the fish while charging higher prices.

The Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection has vowed to continue monitoring the situation to ensure that prices are fair and consumers are not exploited.

END/MSS/AJ