Scarcity of edible Soybean has turned acute in the markets of Rajshahi. Consumers and retailers of Rajshahi city have complained the crisis has been created artificially.
In Shaheb Bazar, Seroil Green grocers market, Sagarpara market, Luxmipur market, Court market, Kantakhali market of the city, bottled Soybean oil is not available but loose Soybean oil is seen to be sold in all groceries there.
In some shops, some bottled Soybean oil weighing 500 grams and 0ne litre is available but there is no bottled oil weighing 2,3 and 5 litres.
Some grocery owners informed, no where in Rajshahi, bottled Soybean oil weighing 5, 3, 2 litre is available. Shop owners have poured those bottled oil in cans and selling that as the loose oil because, in the local markets bottled oil is being sold at Tk 165 per litre while the loose oil is being sold at Tk 170 to Tk 175 per litre. Shop owners, however, indicate the price of Soybean oil would increase further.
Grocery shop owners, Super store salesmen and large grocery shop owners informed, they are putting orders to the edible oil suppliers to provide them oil but the suppliers are informing them that the edible oil company agents are not supplying them oil for mysterious reason though there are available stock of loose oil to the company owners. By selling loose Soybean oil, an agent can earn a profit of Tk 8 to 10 by selling one litre of loose oil but now a days, the price of bottled Soybean oil is less that that of the loose oil that is why most of the shop owners were selling those bottled oil as loose oil. Mst Monjura of Pathanpara area of the city informed, getting no soybean oil at the local shops, she went to the groceries of Shaheb Bazar but there was no oil in most of the shops. In only a small number of shops, there were a scanty supply of 500 ml and one litre of bottled oil but there was no supply of loose oil or bottled oil weighing 2,3 or 5 litres. By expressing anger, she mentioned the price of edible oil was increasing continuously and now Soybean oil is out of market. She questioned where all those oil have gone? Abdul Hannan, another customer from Dagapara area was visiting Shaheb Bazar groceries to purchase a 5 litre bottled Soybean oil. He said, after visiting all shops of Shaheb Bazar he failed to procure a 5 litre of bottled oil. In several shops, there are 1 litre of bottled oil but the price of that bottle is exorbitant. As a result, he was returning home without purchasing any oil. Mostafizur Rahman, Salesman at Tutul Store at Shaheb Bazar informed the Soybean crisis is prevailing in the markets for the last 12 to 15-day. There is no 3, 5 litres of bottled oil in any shop any where. Customers are failing to purchase oil even after paying the charged price. He further said, he has been requesting the agents of the oil companies to supply them the oil for the last two-week but the company agents are failing to supply them the oil.
Some of the agents have informed, their oil stock has been exhausted and many company agents are also not showing up and not attending the phone calls.
While commenting over the artificial crisis of oil and the reluctance to the dealers to supply edible oil ( Soybean oil), Hasan Al Maruf, Assistant Director of National Consumers Rights Protection Department , Rajshahi division, informed some dishonest business syndicates were engaged in such heinous activity. He further said, the Department is continuing its campaign against the price hike of oil and its illegal storage.