If you were planning for a Spanish omelette – a simple dish comprising potatoes, onions and eggs – then prepare for a gaping hole in your pocket. 

Even two days after the Ministry of Commerce placed price caps on potatoes, onions and eggs, their prices showed no signs of cooling.

On Saturday, potatoes were sold at Tk50 per kg, onions at Tk90 per kg, and eggs at Tk150-155 per dozen in Dhaka kitchen markets. This was much higher than the government fixed Tk35-36 per kg for potatoes, Tk64-65 per kg for onions and Tk144 per dozen for eggs. 

The soaring prices also led to rising anger levels.

Buyers in Dhaka were seen arguing with potato and onion sellers as they were asking Tk15-25 more than the government fixed prices. 

On the first lane of the Basabo Ahmed Bagh area, a seller said, "I bought potatoes from the wholesale market at Tk42 per kg in the morning. I cannot sell them at Tk35-36."

One of the sellers at Badda's Mizan store was also seen arguing with customers. 

"The price will come down in retail only when the wholesale price is reduced. There is no option to sell at this price before that," he said. 

"We can either sell at the higher rate or stop selling the product," he added.

Meanwhile, the consumer rights body is conducting raids in many districts and fining traders who are selling these essential commodities at a price higher than what the government has set.

In Bagerhat, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) Assistant Director of the district Abdullah Al Imran fined four traders Tk10,000 each while conducting a raid. 

"They were fined for not having a price chart and not selling the commodities at government fixed prices," Imran said. 

He also said all traders have been instructed to hang the price list at visible places, sell goods at fair prices, keep purchase vouchers, refrain from selling fake and adulterated products and refrain from illegal hoarding.

No shortage of potatoes in the market

Considering the number of potatoes produced in the country this year, there should not be any shortage, DNCRP Director General AHM Shafiquzzaman said while visiting Munshiganj today to implement the government-fixed potato prices at the consumer level. 

Commenting that the potato market situation will come under control within the next few days, he said "an invisible hand" has now destabilised the market. 

Shafiquzzaman also said keeping a receipt is mandatory for selling potatoes, and legal actions will be taken against the traders who do not have one. 

The consumer rights body chief also interrogated a trader with 10,000 bags of potatoes in cold storage about his receipt. Finding inconsistency, he instructed the deputy commissioner and police super of the region to ensure all potatoes in the storage were sold at Tk27 per kg.

Meanwhile, from Cumilla, Savar, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Bogura, Kushtia, and Chattogram regions confirmed that onions, potatoes, and eggs were selling above the government-set prices.

On Thursday, the commerce ministry announced price caps for potatoes at Tk35-36 per kilogram (kg), local onions at Tk64-65 per kg, and eggs at Tk12 per piece. Besides, the price of bottled soybean oil was fixed at Tk169 per litre, non-bottled soybean at Tk149, and palm oil at Tk124.

Despite the ministry's stringent measures to regulate the prices of staple items such as potatoes, onions, and eggs, shopkeepers across the country are boldly flouting the government-fixed rates, sparking outrage among consumers.