Rangpur, Jan 08 (V7N) — Rangpur, renowned for its surplus rice production, is witnessing an unprecedented rise in rice prices during the peak season.
Despite warehouses being stocked with thousands of sacks of rice, the prices continue to rise.
Allegedly, wholesale traders have formed a syndicate to create an artificial crisis, allowing them to pocket hundreds of crores of taka in a week.
This sudden price hike has put low-income earners, labourers, and middle-class families in extreme distress, as rice prices have gone beyond their reach.
A visit to Rangpur's city market and Mahiganj wholesale markets revealed that coarse rice, which used to sell at Tk42 per kg, now costs Tk50-52. Nazirsail rice, previously Tk70 per kg, has risen to Tk82.
Similarly, Kataribhog has gone from Tk72 to Tk82, Miniket from Tk70 to Tk78, Jira Shail from Tk64 to Tk68, and BR-28 from Tk56 to Tk64.
Moreover, local Swarna rice, which was Tk50 per kg, now sells at Tk58.
Wholesale traders claim that large millers have stockpiled thousands of sacks of rice, creating an artificial shortage that has driven prices up.
While blaming the millers, accusations have also surfaced against local traders for hoarding rice illegally.
At Rangpur’s prominent city market and Mahiganj, traders were unable to provide clear explanations for the sudden price hikes, despite having old stock bought at lower prices.
For instance, at a prominent trader's warehouse, over 2,000 sacks of rice were stored for months.
His manager admitted selling thousands of sacks while purchasing more, but he could not justify the price increase of Tk6-10 per kg for the older stock.
Similarly, another manager from a major trading firm reported that they always keep 1,500-2,000 sacks in stock. Despite having older stocks, they are now forced to sell at higher rates due to price increases in larger markets, which they attribute to the syndicate's influence.
Retired agricultural specialist Ali Azam said that there is no valid reason for such a price hike during the peak season, especially in Rangpur, a surplus rice-producing region.
He labelled this as a manipulative act by syndicates and called for strict action against them.
Rangpur’s Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Riaz Uddin, acknowledged that Rangpur typically produces surplus rice.
He said that during the Aman season, the district’s rice production exceeded its target, with a significant surplus available for other districts.
He asserted that the current price surge is unjustified and is a result of syndicate activities, requiring immediate government intervention.
The price hike has severely impacted low-income groups, labourers, and middle-class families.
Rickshaw puller Shahjahan and porter Nawab Ali lamented that their incomes have not increased while rice prices have surged, forcing them to eat two reduced meals a day.
Homemaker Angu Begum echoed similar concerns, saying that the rising costs have made survival nearly impossible and urging the government to take strict action.
END/MSS/AJ/RNG
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