A file photo shows a vendor filling a packet with red lentil at a shop in the city. — New Age photo

Prices of potato, red lentil and unpacked edible oil have increased on the city’s retail markets over the past week.
Potato price went up by Tk 5 a kilogram and was selling at Tk 18 to Tk 20 a kg on Friday.
Traders said the price of potatoes rose as farmers and traders, who had stored the commodity in cold storages to get better prices, were now selling their stock.
The price of potatoes has increased on the city markets as it went up at the suppliers level, said Shahabuddin Ahmed, a wholesaler at Karwan Bazar.
Retailers said the price of red lentil had increased due to a rise in its price at the wholesaler level.
‘Lentil price has increased on the markets as we depend mostly on the red lentil imported from Nepal. Its price has gone up in that country,’ said Shafi Mahmud, president of Bangladesh Dal Babshayee Samity.
Local red lentil price increased by Tk 10 and was selling at Tk 90 to Tk 95 a kg while Nepali red lentil price rose by Tk 10 and was selling at around Tk 100 a kg at Madartek, New Market and Shantinagar in the capital on Friday.
According to the latest data of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, the average price of red lentil increased by 11.11 per cent and that of potato by 40.74 per cent over the past week.
Prices of unpacked soya bean and super palm oil went up by Tk 5 over the week. Unpacked soya bean was retailing at Tk 140 a kg and super palm oil at Tk 120 a kg at Basabo and Karwan Bazar. The price of bottled soya bean oil remained unchanged and was selling at Tk 650 to Tk 665 a 5-litre bottle.
Prices of fine varieties of rice such as miniket and najirshail decreased by Tk 1 to Tk 2 and ranged between Tk 40 and Tk 50 a kg. The price of medium and coarse rice remained unchanged and ranged between Tk 36 and Tk 38 a kg and Tk 28 and Tk 32 a kg over the week.
Prices of most of the vegetables remained unchanged. Okra was selling at Tk 32 to Tk 36 a kg, tomato Tk 25 to Tk 28 a kg and aubergine Tk 28 to Tk 32 a kg.
The price of green papaya went up by Tk 10 a kg and was selling at Tk 28 to Tk 30 a kg.
Prices of chicken and eggs remained still high. Broiler chicken was selling at Tk 155 to Tk 160 a kg at Hatirpool in the city on Friday while local chicken was selling at Tk 300 to Tk 320 per piece weighing around one kilogram. Farm eggs were selling at Tk 36 to Tk 38 a hali (four pieces).