Manufacturing output in February rose 5% year on year, slower than the 5.9% rise posted in the same month last year
Blockade-spurred supply disruptions drives prices
Consumers are feeling the pinch of high prices of goods as the countrywide non-stop transport blockade has severely disrupted supply.
Published : 16 Jan 2015, 06:58 PM
Updated : 16 Jan 2015, 06:58 PM
According to the government's trading arm, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, prices of edible oil, lentil, meat, onion and milk have shot up.
Bangladesh Rice Mill Association General Secretary Layek Ali said price of paddy rose by Tk 30 a maund (37.3 kgs) on Thursday.
Traders said they could not transport goods due to the blockade of highways, railways and waterways enforced by the BNP-led alliance since Jan 5.
They said the supply chain had broken down.
One of the leaders of consumer goods marketing, City Group’s General Manager Bishwadip Saha said they could transport only a small amount of goods on waterways.
He told bdnews24.com the transport disruptions had created supply shortage of commodities in different areas.
Saha said their daily supply of sugar had come down to around 1,200 tonnes from 2,800-2,900 tonnes due to the political programme.
According to him, the Group’s daily supply of soyabean and palm oil declined to about 300 tonnes from 1,200 tonnes and flour to 100 tonnes from 500 tonnes.
Farmers are also feeling the heat as traders could not transport their produces to markets.
According to transport operators, around 70 vehicles were torched,m350 more vandalised, and 14 transport workers killed in the blockade over the last 11 days.
They claimed their financial losses due to the blockade had crossed Tk 200 million.
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