The prices of protein items and vegetables are unlikely to decrease shortly as the demand of these items will further rise in the next month when the Ramadan begins, traders in the city's kitchen markets said.

At Karwan Bazar kitchen market per kilogram mutton was selling at Tk 180, up from Tk 170 last week, per kg beef at Tk 110, up from Tk 100 in last week, per dozen eggs at Tk 51, up from Tk 45.

In the same market, per kg domestic ginger was selling at Tk 70, up from Tk 65, per kg garlic was selling at Tk 42, up from Tk 40 last week, per kg dried chili at Tk 60, up from Tk 58.

However, the price of onion remained unchanged at Tk 24.

There a medium-sized hilsha was selling at Tk 200 to Tk 250 while a small pangash was available at Tk 60 to 65 and small Ruhit at Tk 80 and Telapia at Tk 80 per kg.

All kinds fish got price hike from Tk 5 to 10 per kilogram, fish traders said.

In city's Mirpur-1 kitchen market per kg aubergine was selling at Tk 18, up from Tk 15 last week, per kg cucumber at Tk 14, up from Tk 12, per kg bitter gourd at Tk 20, up from Tk 18.

Rice remained almost static at previous week's price. At Karwan Bazar, per kg hapai pari was selling at Tk 18, Nazirshail at Tk 20 and Minikit at Tk 22.

"The prices of mutton and beef may rise further in the coming month due to Ramadan," said Shafiqul Islam, a trader in Karwan Bazar.

"The cattle traders have to depend on cattle brought from India to meet the local demand. During last few weeks the supply of cattle in Dhaka has dropped leading to the price hike of beef and mutton," the trader said.

The prices of fish have already gone beyond the purchasing capacity of middle class people, Azizul Haque, a buyer at Mirpur kitchen market said, adding that he dreads to think about the possible price hike of fish and meat in the upcoming Ramadan.