Dishonest traders cashing in on dengue menace

Cashing in on the dengue outbreak, a section of dishonest traders are reportedly selling mosquito control products in the capital at abnormally high prices.

Many city dwellers have alleged that some retail shops are overcharging them for mosquito repellents, nets and other products against a backdrop of the customers' vulnerability.

However, traders have attributed the price hike to the scarcity of such products and its growing demand.

Md Rokon Uddin, a banker living in the city's Banasree area, told the FE that he bought a 100gram Dabur brand odomos cream at Tk 520 from a super shop in Gulshan area.

He said, "Few months back, I bought the same tube at Tk 220 before going on a trip to malaria-prone Bandarban which is sold at 88 rupees in India."

In general, people buy mosquito repellent cream from most of main street drugstores while going to the Chattogram hill districts to stay safe from Anopheles mosquito that transmits malaria.

But due to the rising demand, city dwellers couldn't find the cream in such drugstores.

At present, mosquito repellent cream can only be bought from super shops and drugstores in mostly posh areas, Gulshan DNCC market and several online marketplaces.

However, the customers need to pay twice or thrice than regular price.

A market monitoring team of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection on Sunday temporarily sealed off three drugstores in the city's Kalabagan area for selling odomos cream at higher prices.

The three stores were found selling mosquito repellent cream odomos at two or four times higher than actual price during a drive led by the directorate's deputy director Manjur Mohammad Shahriar.

Mr Shahriar said Desh Pharma, Swiss Pharma and My Pharma were shut temporarily for selling a 50 gram odomos tube at Tk 350 to Tk 500 which was Tk 125 to Tk 150 earlier and 100 gram tube at Tk 650 that was sold at Tk 220 to Tk 250 earlier.

According to ad posts by Swarna International on online shop daraz.com.bd, the price of Dabur Odomos Naturals Non-Sticky Mosquito Repellent Cream 50gm is Tk 450 while Dabur Odomos Mosquito Repellent Cream 100gm is Tk 750.

Visiting different markets and bedding stores, this correspondent found that mosquito nets of different sizes, colours and qualities were selling between Tk 300 and Tk 800.

Besides, magic mosquito nets (good for air passing) were selling between Tk 300 and Tk 550. Prices of rechargeable electric bats ranged between Tk 350 and Tk 600.

As per another online shop, electronic mosquito killing devices like mosquito insect killer lamp is priced at Tk 365, YAGE super trap mosquito killer at Tk 759, Dingwang mosquito killer night lamp at Tk 650, Good Knight brand mosquito repellent liquid vaporizer machine at Tk 140 etc.

Meanwhile, prices of different brand aerosols and coils have remained static. But due to higher demand, the products sold out fast, said Milon Bishwas, a retail grocery shop owner in the city's Rampura area.

According to the Directorate of Health, a total of 24,804 people have been so far diagnosed with dengue fever across the country since January 01 this year of which 17,388 went home after treatment.

Some 18 people died of dengue fever as per the government estimates. But different media put the number of deaths from dengue fever at 70.