Staff Correspondent

Due to the steps taken by the government, the price of egg at the retail level dropped by Tk 25 to 30 per dozen at different markets in the capital.

To make egg affordable to people, the government has permitted its import with a reduced import duty. The 25 percent import duty has been cut to 5 percent.

This duty relief will be available until 15 December, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) said in an order issued on Thursday.

Talking to BSS, Kawser Ahmed, owner of the Dhaka Poultry at Kawran Bazar, said due to the government efforts, the supply of egg in the market has increased which has led to a decrease in prices.

"Today, I am selling per hundred eggs at Tk 1101 at wholesale level. The price was Tk 1170 to Tk 1180 yesterday," he added.

According Kawser, today per dozen eggs are being sold at Tk 132.12 at wholesale level which was Tk141.6 yesterday.

Abu Sufian, a Dhaka city dweller, said that he bought a dozen of farm eggs from Khilgaon Taltola Market for Tk 150 which was Tk 180 two days ago.

He urged the government to strengthen its monitoring activities to ensure that the sales actually happen at the government-set prices.

Fahmina Akter, assistant director of Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP), said she conducted drives at West Shewrapara Kacha Bazar and Taltola Kacha Bazar and saw that the price of egg is around the government-fixed price.

Under the price set by the government, each egg should be sold for Tk 10.58 at the producer level, Tk 11.01 at wholesale, and Tk 11.87 at retail.

At Shwapno, the largest retail chain in Bangladesh, the price of each loose egg is Tk 11.67.

Meanwhile, to increase supply and control the prices, corporate entities have announced that they will supply two million eggs daily to Dhaka's two main wholesale markets -- Tejgaon and Kaptan Bazar.

Corporate entities started supplying eggs in Kaptan Bazar yesterday. The main coordinator of this initiative is the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council.

The organisation said that although this activity will initially start in Dhaka, it will impact the entire country.