Personal protecting equipments and sanitizers are selling skyrocketing prices following Covid 19 emerges although consumer rights protection officials are in operation in the markets.

A 30 milligram bottles of handirub sanitizer of Reckitt Benckiser, Jamuna Group, JMI or Eskaef are selling between Tk 30 and Tk 40 meant sanitizer are selling at cost of Tk 1000 and more per litre.

But market sources said a liter of quality sanitizer is available at Tk 350 in Mitford wholesale market.

Mohsinul Karim, an importer of different medical and non-medical chemicals has told Business Mirror that sanitizer is petroleum by product. “As the gasoline price dropped across the world sanitizers cost also reduced at wholesale market.

Low quality mask, hand gloves and PPE are flooded in the markets that are also selling without BSTI or any other government agencies approval.

A ppe made from shopping bag like cloths were selling at Tk 200 in front of Bangabazar Hawkers market. The seller Abul Kashem said “We don’t know about quality. We are selling items which have demand in the market.”

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) officials claimed that the DNCRP is operating nine mobile courts to monitor market situation in Ramadan.

“We are continuing mobile courts operation even in the holidays to monitor kitchen market. We are focusing two things; 1) prices of essential commodities and its standard and 2) the operational activities of Trading Corporation run open market sale (OMS),” Atia Sultana, Deputy Director of DNCRP told Business Mirror.

When asked about high prices of PPE and others protective Md. Masum Arefin, Deputy Director, DNCRP said the DNCRP has limitation in law. “In terms of open market economy prices shall be fixed on supply and demand situation. For which we can not do anything about price rise,” Masum Arefin added.

But mobile court from DNCRP spreads fear among businessmen and they refrain from making any unethical practices, Arefin added.

Earlier last week, mobile team of the DNCRP fined two pharmacies including chain medicine shop Lazz Pharma Ltd  Tk 40,000 for selling date- expired medicines and  baby food at higher price in the city.

The DNCRP’s mobile team, led by its Assistant Director Abdul Jabbar Mandal, conducted drives at Shantinagar and Kakrail areas between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm in the morning.