Essential commodity prices surged by an average of 4.39% in October, following a 3.13% rise in September, according to a report by the Consumers Forum (CF). The combined increase over the two months reached 7.52%, putting further strain on household budgets. Fish prices saw the steepest climb, rising 11.72%, while spices like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin increased by 10.30%. Other notable hikes included onion, garlic, and ginger (7.79%), fuel oil (6.02%), sugar (4.93%), and edible oil and dalda (4.80%).
Rice prices rose by 2.62%, while flour and wheat flour increased by 3.25%. Egg prices climbed 1.42%, meat by 0.38%, and tea by 0.14%. However, prices remained unchanged in seven categories, including salt, dairy products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, chanachur, biscuits, 11 commonly used medicine brands, and notebooks and pens. In contrast, vegetable prices dropped by 3.12%, and gold and silver prices fell by 4.77%.
The CF noted that winter vegetables arriving in markets in Jashore, Bogura, and Rangpur had pushed down prices at the producer level. However, farmers struggled to recover production costs. For example, cauliflower and cabbage sold for Tk6-12 each in Bogura and Rangpur, but for around Tk50 each in Dhaka. Similarly, bottle gourds were priced at Tk8-10 each in producer markets but Tk60 each in the capital.
The CF warned that continued price increases could fuel public discontent, particularly among low- and middle-income households. It emphasized that higher salaries and allowances alone would not ease financial pressure unless other essential expenditures, such as housing, education, and healthcare, remained affordable. The organization urged the government to strengthen market monitoring and take legal action against excessive profiteering by traders.