While unscrupulous agents and traders fleece the consumers, the Milk Vita authorities attribute the situation to inadequate supply against increased demand during Ramadan and lack of punitive measures against the malpractice.

"Deficit in supply results in such situation of overpricing," said Idris Ahmed, additional general manager (marketing) of Milk Vita, the trade name for dairy products of Bangladesh Milk Producers Cooperative Union Limited (BMPCUL).

"The supply position this year is worse than that of last year," he said. "In Ramadan the demand for milk products doubles from the normal demand."

A one-litre packet of liquid milk of Milk Vita was sold at Tk 30 in retail market in the city a month ago but the BMPCUL raised the price by Tk 2 a couple of weeks ahead of Ramadan. Now the retailers overprice it to Tk 35.

A resident of Uttar Badda Wahida Mili said that she had to buy one litre of milk at Tk 36 a week ago though the company fixed the price at Tk 32.

Fahim Hasan, an executive of a private industry, from Dhanmondi said he has to buy two litres of Milk Vita daily for his two-year old kid and other use.

"Such a price hike of an essential item is inflicting unbearable suffering on limited income consumers like me," said Hasan.

Asked about justification of increasing the price, Idris said, "We raised the price of milk from Tk 30 to 32 per litre to give a higher cost to the producers."

Abdur Rashid, shopkeeper of A to Z grocery shop in Gulshan circle-1 was found selling per litre of milk at Tk 35, as this correspondent appeared as a customer.

"Though company-fixed retail price is Tk 32, now we are to sell at Tk 35," Rashid said. "The Milk Vita van driver named Haq overpriced the milk. He stopped supplying me milk as I protested the price hike and I could not sell Milk Vita six out of the first eight days of Ramadan."

The grocer of Masum General Store at Dakshinpara in Mohakhali said that the Milk Vita van driver Zakir does not give him the supply daily. "I managed another driver from whom I take some extra supply paying extra price to meet the increased demand for Ramadan. So, I have to overcharge the customers."

"Actually, both van drivers and shopkeepers indulge in price manipulation," said Motiur Rahman, supervisor of Milk Vita agents for Gulshan area.

In case a retailer overprices the milk, the union can stop supplying him. In case a driver overprices a product, any retailer can hold him on the spot and call the Milk Vita head office or Distribution Centre seeking redress.

Normally demand for liquid milk varies from 1.8 lakh to 2 lakh litres, said Idris. "Normally we can supply 1.8 lakh litres and in Ramadan 2 lakh litres."

BMPCUL is the central union of 345 primary Milk Producer's Co-operative Societies and has a membership of about 40,000 milk-producing farmers.