Dhaka: Although the prices of fine and medium variety rice found rise in last couple of weeks at different city markets immediately after the 11^th parliament elections, but the price of all sorts of rice including coarse variety marked fresh decline by Taka 1-2 per kg this week compared to the last week market price, reports the BSS.

Fine and medium quality rice price found a rise of Taka 2-3 per kg in the city market after the 11^th parliament elections that continued till last week and the price of both fine and medium quality rice marked little lower this week.

But the price hike of fine and medium rice did not effect on the coarse variety rice during this time.

Fine and medium quality rice sold at Taka 54-64 and Taka 44-54 per kg today while it was sold Taka 54-65 and Taka 46-54 in last week, according to official price index prepared by Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).

Even the fine quality Nazir and miniket are now being sold at Taka 56-64 per kg while it was Taka 56-65 in last week.

Price of coarse variety rice including ‘shawrna’, china and Irri sold at Taka 38-42 pr kg while it was Taka 38-44 in last week, TCB price index shows.

Wholesale price (per kg) of good quality miniket sold at Taka 49.00-49.50,miniket (normal) sold at Taka 46, Nazir shail sold between Taka 53 and Taka 58, medium quality (BR-28) sold at 33-36, coarse varieties Guti and Shawarna sold at Taka 32 and truck sale price of coarse variety rice at Taka 30, said a wholesaler of city’s Badamtoli area.

‘There is no possibility of rice price hike in the country in coming days as after the full harvest of Aman now the optimum season of fine quality irri-boro rice will arrive ahead of the Pahela Baishakh, Bengali New year,’ said Zakir Hossain Rony, Vice President of Rice Merchant Association.

Regarding the rice price hike in the capital after the elections, he said due to shutdown of the vehicles before and after the elections throughout the country led fresh hike of rice price due to supply shortage.

The wholesaler, however, said the rice price becomes up and down first at the wholesale level and then it [price hike] ultimately takes time to come back at normal stage at the retail level immediately after price hike takes place at the wholesale level.

About the retail price of fine and medium fine quality rice including miniket and BR-28, Nirod Boron Saha Chandan, a wholesaler and general merchant commission agent, admitted that the price of coarse variety rice is quite stable but the fine and medium fine variety rice price has slightly increased at the wholesale level as the fine quality rice is usually produced in one season during the irri-boro period.

Sudden price hike of the staple food for two consecutive weeks immediately after the 11^th parliamentary elections on December 30, drew attention of the new government.

The new food minister along with the commerce minister called meeting with the rice wholesalers and rice millers at the ministry conference room on January 10 to discuss how quickly to tackle rice price hike.