<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>The consumers in Dhaka are feeling the heat of inflation as price hike continues amid higher interest rates.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prices of almost all consumer items including fish, eggs, vegetables, and other daily essentials saw their prices highest in a decade. Vegetables, meat, chicken, and fish prices have remained stable, but at higher rates, said several consumers of different professions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Talking with UNB they said that higher prices of almost all vegetables, fish, chickens, meat, and other essential commodities are unlikely to decrease for now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Abul Hossain, a mid-level official of an autonomous organisation ltold UNB that the taka has slid from 84 to 117 against the US dollar, which severely affected the consumer market.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not only devalued taka, but also prices of utilities , and fuel have increased, interest rate soared. All of this rate hike impacted the consumer market, he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many others echoed Abul.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Egg price is on higher trend over last 10 days and selling this popular protein item at Tk160 per dozen on Friday in the capital. It saw an increase of price by Tk25 in last two week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Visiting different kitchen markets including Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur, Mohakhali, and Malibagh this correspondent observed that eggs were selling at Tk 160 per dozen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Egg of domestic rearing hen was selling at Tk 75 to 80 per hali (4 pieces) and duck egg was selling at Tk 70 to 75 per hali.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The price of broiler chicken and Pakistani origin sonali chicken have increased by Tk10 to 20 per kg compared to the last two weeks. The boiler chicken was selling at Tk 220 to 2235 per kg based on size and quality. Apart from this, the price of Sonali chicken has also increased and being sold at Tk 345 to 3070 per kg based on size and quality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Similarly, cock chicken was being sold at Tk 370 to 390 per kg, layer chicken at Tk 300 to Tk350 per kg, and indigenous (desi) chicken at Tk 670 to Tk 765 per kg.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The traders of the concerned sectors said that prices of chicken increased due to price hikes of chicken food and broiler chicks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Beef was selling between Tk 750 to 780 per kg on Friday based on quality, and saw a raise of price by Tk 30 per kg than other days of the week. Mutton and goat meat was selling at Tk1000 to 1180 per kg based on quality, which saw an increase of Tk 50 per kg.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hilsha weighing about 450 gram was selling at Tk650 per kg while Hilsha weighing 1.0 kg plus were selling at Tk 1800 to 2000 per kg at Karwan Bazar fish market on Friday. Hilsha weighing 700 to 800 grams were selling at Tk 900 to 1000 per piece.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fish like Ruhit and carp were selling between Tk 300 to 450 per kg based size and quality. Others fish including riverine small fish were selling at Tk400 to 700 per kg on Friday. Source: UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd/fas</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div>