The surging price of rice is attributed to additional carrying and management cost due to the flooding and rains. Each maund of ordinary quality rice now sells at Tk 650-700, raising the price of each kg by Tk 1-2. Before the floods, rice sold at Tk 560-620 a maund.

Rice wholesalers at New Market said the price may rocket in one or two weeks as the crops in northeast and northern districts were mostly destroyed by floodwaters.

Prices of most of the perishable vegetables except potato, tomato, garlic and ginger were hiked due to the extra transport cost.

Prices of green and dried chillies were found very high at most of the kitchen markets of Karwan Bazar, New Market and Tejgaon's Kalmilata Bazar.

Cumin seeds now sell at Tk 180-190 each kg, which was Tk 150-160 before floods. Green and dried chillies sell at Tk 40-50 and Tk 65-70 each kg, hiking the prices by Tk 15-20.

Besides, prices of flour, eggs, chicken meat, pulse, fish, okra, turmeric, puffed rice, aubergine, gur, onion, salt, also surged.

Price of fish has been up by Tk 15-20 a kg, while the supply of small fish in the city is now minimal. Fish sellers said as floodwaters have not yet subsided, fishermen cannot properly fish.

However, they said price of fish will significantly fall within the next few weeks.

Some buyers at Kalmilata Bazar said prices of essentials are so high that the low-income people have no other way but to do without many of them.