Rangamati Correspondent

The Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) used to break his fasting with dates. As a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), it is observed by fasting people worldwide. Fasting people prefer to break Iftar with dates.

Due to the increase in the price of dates, buyers are not able to buy dates at a higher price.

To make the price of dates bearable, the government has fixed two types of prices for this one of the main ingredients of Iftar. But the market did not see any reflection of this directive of the government.

According to the decision of the Ministry of Commerce, the price of very common and low quality dates in the retail market will be Tk 150 to Tk 165 per kg and the widely used Zaidi dates will be priced between Tk 170 to Tk 180 per kg.

However, consumers complain that dates are not available in the market at this price. Buyers have to buy at a much higher price than the fixed price. Buyers say that everything is overpriced. They do not have the capacity of buying and eating dates at a high price there.

Various markets of Rangamati city were visited on Thursday, Barai dates are being sold at Tk 450, Farida, Masruom and Lulu dates are being sold at Tk 600-650, Jabbas, Algeria, Nagal dates are being sold at Tk 500 to Tk 580, Mariam dates are being sold at Tk 500-650, Ajoa dates are selling for 1100 to 1200 taka.

Besides, Zaidi dates are being sold at Tk 300 to Tk 360 per kg. The price fixed by the government for very common and low quality dates is Tk 165. But these dates are selling for 250-300 taka.

The sellers said that these two types of dates are being sold at roughly the same price in the market since at least a week before the start of fasting.

Retail traders say, they have to buy dates at a higher price from the wholesale market. As a result, if they have to sell dates at the price set by the government, they will incur losses.

The seller md. Hriday Hasan said, sales are not so good. Customers are not buying dates because the price is high.Barai Dates were bought for 360 taka, sold for 450 taka. Ajoa dates are bought for more than 1000 taka, sold for 1200 taka. He said that Barai dates are being sold fairly.

When asked about the high price of dates, Banrupa Bazar trader Md Ali said that retailers are not in a position to reduce prices. Dates have to be bought from the wholesale market at a higher price. There is no opportunity to see inside the packed dates. There are spoiled dates inside the packet and we have to throw them away, they cannot be sold to the buyers. Here too we have to count the losses.

He said, retail traders like us are kept under surveillance all the time but big traders in the wholesale market are not watched. If the surveillance on them could be increased, then there is a possibility that the price of these dates will decrease.

Businessman Md Touhidul Islam Tapu said, due to the high price of dates, the shops have not picked up more dates, people are not buying dates, they are not being sold.

In the market of Rangamati, dates of good quality are being sold at around Tk 1200 per kg. Common dates are being sold at 300 taka. According to market sources, compared to last year, the price of all types of dates has increased by at least Tk 100 to Tk 400 per kg.