Bottled soybean oil is not available in most stores.
Bottled soybean oil is not available even in the markets and neighborhood shops. This crisis, which started towards the end of last month, has become more pronounced now. Last week, bottled soybean oil was available, albeit in small quantities. Now, one, two, and even five-liter bottles are a breeze.
Dealers say that the supply is on. But neighborhood retailers say that they are not getting it despite repeated requests. In this situation, shopkeepers are arguing with suppliers (dealers) in some places to get bottled soybean oil. Shopkeepers say that if you buy other products from the same company, you can get bottled oil, albeit in small quantities. This is the main reason for the argument with suppliers.
Md. Nazrul Islam Farid, who was tired of going from shop to shop in Karwan Bazar yesterday, Saturday, in search of soybean bottles, told our time that there are no shops in the area. Even in a big market like Karwan Bazar, you have to go from shop to shop. There are not even two-liter bottles. I don’t understand why there is such suffering all of a sudden. Shopkeepers say that the company is not providing. This is not right. Consumers are suffering.
When asked, Md. Mujahid, a retailer at Dhaka General Store in Karwanbazar Kitchen Market, said that the companies have reduced supply for the past two-three weeks. Far from meeting demand, even a small amount is not available. Even if you get a few bottles, you have to pay extra for them. However, the MRP of the bottles is the same as the previous rate.
Meanwhile, dealers in Karwanbazar claim that the supply of bottles has not stopped. The supply is ongoing. However, retailers in Karwanbazar say that what is being supplied is very insignificant compared to normal.
Retailers here, including Mujahid, said that the amount that the companies are supplying in the market is ending in an instant. A trader is not getting 1 to 2 cartons (4 5-liter bottles per carton), where 10-20 cartons are required.
Bottled soybean oil has also disappeared from Malibagh market. The vendors of this market said that although the crisis was not that severe before, there has been no supply for the past week. Although they give some bottles, they are forced to buy other products of the company along with them. The retailers said that they are quite upset about this.
Md. Soleman of Biplob Store, a retailer of this market, said that there are no bottles at all. Sometimes, some bottles are given like 2 cartons. But with them, it was seen that two sacks of flour, or mustard oil or other products are also given. If other products are not taken, they do not give bottles.
Md. Milon Hossain of Milon Store, a retailer of Kadamtali Saddam Market, made the same complaint. He said, despite repeated requests, we do not get bottles. If we get a few bottles, we again get this and that from the company like mustard oil, polar rice. This is not right. There are many arguments with the dealers about this.
Meanwhile, after the bottle crisis intensified, no explanation is being received from the concerned officials of the supplying companies. When trying to contact them on mobile phone, it was not possible to establish contact.
Market analysts believe that it is unethical to repeatedly create instability in the same product and increase its price. SM Nazer Hossain, vice-president of consumer rights organization Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), told our time, this is not new, soybean bottles have disappeared before. The same method is going on again. These need to be stopped.
Stating that such a crisis has been created to increase the price, Rajer Hossain said, what is happening now is not right. It takes time to import. The oil that is available now was purchased earlier. Therefore, there is no logic in increasing the price now in the name of the world market.
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