Traders in Kushtia did not reduce the price of watermelon even after the mobile court raids on their yards in several times and order to follow rules of fruit selling in the season.
Vendors still at different points in the city are charging Tk 50 per kg of the fruit.
Different sources said the storekeepers are making extra profit of lakhs of taka every day by increasing the prices, they don’t have any problem to pay a fine of Tk 2/3 thousand. They demanded strict action.
In Kushtia, watermelon was sold at Tk 25 even a week before Ramadan. At that time relatively large and good quality watermelon was sold for tk 26 to 30. After the starting of Ramadan, the price went up to tk 35/40. Thus, the weight of watermelon increases from tk 50 to 55 kg.
As the price increased by leaps and bounds, there was an uproar in Kushtia as well as all over the country.
After the Kushtia district administration executive magistrate Bani Amin and Riju Tamanna conducted raid on 26 April. Magistrate Riju Tamanna told that some people have earned tk 20 per kg from selling watermelon.
Member Kushtia Nagorik Committee also chairman of Sammilito Samajik Jote Dr. Amanur Aman said, there will be no profit by imposing a fine of Tk 2/3 thousand. This is because the fine is negligible compared to the daily extra income of a single watermelon trader. He said that they should be kept under regular monitoring. Business organizations and conscious citizens should be involved and kept under constant monitoring. He said the administration needs to be more stringent.
“If necessary, the warehouse should be sealed. If the warehouse is closed for 7 days, they will agree to sell at the right price,” Dr. Aman said.
Kushtia District Marketing Officer Rabiul Islam who took part in the mobile court campaign it is being sold at the same price even after the drive adding that the operation would be carried out again.
He also said that the market is monitoring regularly.
He said that according to the Agricultural Marketing Act, there is a provision to earn Tk 10 per kg in case of fruits. However, there are special instructions for watermelon. One can’t earn more than Tk 3 to 5 per kg. And even one have to sell the kg or piece the way he buys it.
