Traders staged a one-day strike after members of an elite police squad were deployed at markets in south-east Bangladesh to drive down the price of onions, a report said on Tuesday.
Many garlic and potato sellers in the port city of Chittagong also shut up shop in a show of solidarity, official news agency BSS said.
The traders went on strike after members of the Rapid Action Battalion took up positions near onion wholesalers and stalls on Monday.
The deployment followed a public outcry at the recent spiralling cost of essential food items such as onions, chilli, rice and oil.
Angry traders accused police of forcing them to sell onions at 15 taka per kilogram, seven taka less than their buying rate.
But unit Commander Quazi Emdadul Haque said they will continue to ensure reasonable prices are charged.
”We saw at least 100 to 150 truckloads of onions, [so] why do they blame poor supply for the price hike of onions?” BSS quoted him as saying.
The battalion, which is made up of police as well as members of the armed forces and paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles, was formed by the current government as part of an initiative to reduce rising levels of crime. — Sapa-AFP