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Prices of 29 key essentials maintain previous highs as the Department of Agricultural Marketing apparently ducked enforcement after fixing their rates on Friday amid market waywardness.
The department set logical prices of those products, including meat, fish, chickens, eggs, spices and vegetables, under provision of the section 4 (i) of the Agricultural Marketing Act 2018 in government bid to come to grips with price rises.
But, visiting six markets Sunday in the capital city, Dhaka, the FE correspondent found no traces of any DAM officials in Hatirpool, Polashi, Anandabazar, Rayerbazar, Karwan Bazar and Nawabganj Bazar precincts.
At Hatirpoool Bazar, traders hung price for beef at Tk 750 a kg while the DAM-set MRP is Tk 665.
Price of Sonali/kok/Pakistani chickens was Tk 340-360 a kg against government-fixed Tk 275, while broiler was selling at Tk 220-230 a kg although DAM fixed it at Tk 175.
Tomato was selling at Tk 50-70, cucumber Tk 70-90, brinjal, Tk 80-100 a kg, and onions Tk 70-90 a kg in different markets-higher by Tk 20-40 a kg than DAM-set price.
Minimum price of pangas fish was Tk 200 a kg while maximum Tk 300 a kg in the markets when MRP has set it at Tk 181 a kg. Cultured katla fish sold at Tk 400- 500 a kg against MRP of TK 380.
Value-chain expert Prof Dr Rashidul Hasan notes that DAM has been given power to fix and implement lowest and logical prices under the Section 4 (b) and 4 (i) of the Agricultural Marketing Act 2018.
"I think DAM shows less interest to go for implementing the prices," he says.
"When the organisation could issue a notification on Friday, a weekly holiday, then it should have preparation to go for market drive immediately, which it didn't," he says about the urgency of the matter.
DAM director-general Md Masud Karim told the FE his organisation has 500 people across the country and they have been instructed to be present at the market.
He said as the notification had been released just two days back, and there were consecutive holidays until Sunday, full implementation would take some more days.
The DAM head claims his organisation has still no magistracy power. "We could claim about wrongdoings to the court or could conduct mobile court with presence of a magistrate from the administration."
Asked, he said mobile courts started across the country collaboratively by the DAM and local administration.
He said the number of drives and how many traders were brought to book could be known Monday.
However, Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection director-general Md Shofiquzzaman told the FE that DAM did not consult them or other relevant agencies before issuing the notification on Friday.
"DNCRP has been working hard every day to give consumers some relief," he says about his agency's part in market intervention amid what reports say price fixing by business biggies.
He expresses his optimism that DAM will also do its duty to ensure fair prices on the market as they have also the authority to do so.