High Inflation Hits Feni Vegetable Markets,Essential Goods Out of Reach, Public Distressed.

Jahangir Alam, ​Staff Reporter Vegetable prices in Feni’s local markets have spiraled out of control, leaving consumers in distress. Within just a week, the prices of almost all essential vegetables have nearly doubled, forcing lower and middle-income families to struggle to keep up with their daily expenses. Outraged consumers have expressed deep frustration over the skyrocketing prices of essential items. ​A visit to key markets in Feni city this morning—including Boro Bazar, the Kitchen Market near Trunk Road, and the Mohipal Wholesale Market—revealed the scorching state of the vegetable market. ​Market Price Snapshot ItemPrice (per kg) Brinjal (Eggplant)BDT 80 – 100 Bitter Gourd & Lady's FingerBDT 70 – 80 Pointed Gourd & LuffaBDT 60 – 70 Imported TomatoesBDT 160 – 180 Green ChiliesBDT 200 – 220 Raw PapayaBDT 40 – 50 Outrage Among Shoppers, Retailers Blame Supply Chain ​Expressing his frustration at Boro Bazar, Rafiqul Islam, a school teacher, said: ​"With vegetable prices surging like this, having a simple meal with basic curry is becoming impossible, let alone buying fish or meat. Due to a lack of market monitoring, traders are hiking prices arbitrarily." ​Retailers, however, claim they are forced to sell at higher rates because wholesale prices have jumped. Zahir Hossain, a vegetable seller at Boro Bazar, explained: ​"Heavy rainfall and recent adverse weather have severely damaged crops and disrupted the supply chain across producing regions. Due to short supply at the Mohipal wholesale market, we are buying goods at higher prices. On top of that, transportation costs have escalated significantly." ​Market Experts Point to Syndicates ​Local observers argue that blame cannot be placed solely on adverse weather. They highlight that intermediary syndicates operating between wholesale and retail markets, combined with extortion during transport, are major factors driving up prices. ​To bring relief to ordinary consumers, residents of Feni have strongly urged the local administration to immediately initiate strict market monitoring and conduct mobile court drives across all vegetable markets in the district.