Dismantle the syndicate to bring down onion prices

Whether it's fish, meat, or vegetables, onions are essential in cooking. Recently, there has been sudden instability in the wholesale and retail markets for onions. Just as the temperature increases when mercury is heated, similarly, the price of onions, which costs 28 Taka per kilogram to produce, has now nearly reached 150 Taka per kilogram. The price of this commodity has more than doubled in just a few days, causing even greater hardship for people.

Is there no escape for this nation from the clutches of the syndicate? While discussing the history of exploitation, we write about how the Moghs plundered our land in the past, followed by the British and then the Pakistanis. But today, who is looting our wealth and resources? Under the guise of syndicates, ordinary citizens are being made destitute. This is nothing but a form of robbery similar to the tax and extortion of the British era.

On Monday (July 8), news reports revealed that the price of onions has suddenly increased due to a shortage in supply. In the wholesale market of Khatunganj in Chattogram, the price of onions has been rising for a week. Over the past week, the onion syndicate has taken away hundreds of crores of Taka from consumers' pockets by increasing the price by 10 to 15 Taka per kilogram.

Importers are first increasing the price by reducing the supply of onions through land ports like Chattogram, Benapole, Hili, Sonamasjid, and Bhomra. In the next phase, commission agents are raising the price. In the third phase, wholesalers in the market increase the price, and as the onions reach the retail market, the price goes up another two or three times. In total, around 60 traders are involved in this syndicate.

Onions are a staple of Bengali cuisine. No curry can be cooked without onions. Onions are an essential food item, and now that their prices have skyrocketed, people are at their wits' end. With the excessive price increases of all essential goods already forcing people to scrape by, the additional burden of higher onion prices is creating even more strain.

In our country, most businessmen are driven by the desire for excessive profits and the tendency to exploit the public. As a result, problems keep recurring. Each time, they use excuses like import complications, low yields, or price increases in exporting countries to justify their actions. Every year, dishonest traders are carrying out this Tughluq-like drama with onions. We know that in the past few years, to stabilize the onion market in the country, this essential commodity has had to be brought in through land, sea, and even air routes.

Our demand to the government is to stop the syndicate by any means necessary and reduce the price of onions. While cutting onions brings tears to many people's eyes, now even buying onions brings tears to the eyes. Please put an end to the people's tears.