A huge difference between the retail and wholesale prices is also visible. In Karwan Bazar market yesterday, local ruhi was selling at Tk 160-170 a kg, up from Tk 140-150 two weeks earlier and Tk 100-120 just before Eid.

In the same market, prawn was selling at Tk 200-250 a kg depending on their sizes, which was sold at Tk 150-200 only two weeks ago. Local catfish was being sold at Tk 300-350 a kg against Tk 250-300 two weeks ago.

Fish traders of Karwan Bazar blamed the price spiral on an increase in transportation cost due to the price hike of diesel and also inadequate supply.

"In the competitive market everybody wants to sell goods. If the supply is smooth, the traders would not be able to keep the prices illogically high," Jasim Uddin, a whole seller of Karwan Bazar.

"The [transportation] cost of goods this time increased due to extortion and shortage of carrier," Jasim said adding that in the capital, the fish pricing depends totally on the supply from across the country.

"The middle class is going to take fish off the dish soon as the current prices have gone beyond our purchasing capacity," said Laila Zaman, a buyer in the city's Mirpur-1 kitchen market.

"I went to the fish market to buy ruhi but the sellers charged Tk 180 for each kg which seems unbelievable to me," Laila added.

In Hatirpool market, ruhi was selling at Tk 185-190, prawn at Tk 220-250 and local catfish at Tk 330-360 for a kg.

Fish sellers in Karwan Bazar and Mirpur-1 markets said the fish prices in the city markets are unlikely to come down immediately.

In Hatirpool and Mirpur-1 kitchen markets, meanwhile, potato was selling at Tk 7-9, beans Tk 10-12, tomato Tk 10-12, carrot Tk 10-12, cucumber Tk 15-16, aubergine Tk 12-14 and green chilli at Tk 30-35 a kg.