Finance
Wholesale Market Khatunganj wholesale market suffering due to lack of buyers
Dhaka, March 25: The holy month of Ramadan is ahead. Demand for this specialty has grown significantly as a result of recent corporate scandals. As a result, sales also increased. But in Khatunganj, the largest wholesale market in Chittagong, a different picture has emerged. Although a large amount of goods are imported, there is not much trade. Even if the price of the product goes down, the buyer is not seen.
According to the importers, the demand for gram in the country is around two to two lakh 15 thousand tons throughout the year. Of this, the demand for Ramadan alone is about 70,000 tons. However, in the first eight and a half months of the current financial year (2021-22) more than two and a half lakh tons of gram has been imported through Chittagong port. Despite the demand of 70,000 tons in Ramadan, more than 120,000 tons of gram has been imported from February 1 to March 20.
According to Khatunganj traders, last year's stock of unsold gram was also this time. All in all, there is only double the stock of gram for Ramadan. In the meanwhile, due to various measures taken by the government, the prices of all kinds of consumer goods including gram have started to come down.
Not only gram, pea-lentil pulses, even soybean oil and sugar imports have exceeded demand. However, traders have said that there is no trade in this one of the country's consumer goods market in the last few days in view of Ramadan. They say that even though there are people in Khatunganj, there is no trade.
Md. Mohiuddin, general secretary of Chaktai-Khatunganj warehouse general business welfare association, told Jago News that there has been no sale of gram, pulses, oil and sugar in Khatunganj in the last few days. It is not understood that Ramadan is ahead. This time there is no such image. The prices of all kinds of products are falling every day.
He said that at present in Khatunganj, gram is being sold at 60-65 taka per kg. Even a week ago it was 2-3 taka more per kg. Like gram, the price of peas has also come down. Last week, peas were sold at Tk 47 per kg, but last Wednesday (March 23) they were sold at Tk 44 per kg. Similarly, lentil pulses used to cost Tk 89, now they are being sold at Tk 87 per kg.
At present, there is unrest in Khatunganj over consumer goods, said the leader of the traders. He said the prices of the products are falling sharply. Importers are uncomfortable importing goods. The prices of all kinds of products are falling in the market mainly due to high imports.
