Khalil to sell beef at Tk595 till 31 March

Khalilur Rahman, who recently gained popularity for selling beef at an affordable price, said he will continue to sell beef at Tk595 until the 20th of Ramadan (31 March).

In the face of criticism for hiking the price of beef by Tk100 last Thursday (21 March), Khalil has reverted to selling beef at a price lower than the market price.

He made the announcement during a press conference titled "Selling beef at affordable prices at the individual level" organised by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection today (24 March).

"Although I initially intended to offer beef at a reduced price during Ramadan, the escalating cost of cattle compelled me to raise prices. In response to the concerns raised following my announcement, I have decided to return to selling beef at Tk595," said the meat trader.

"However, I will not slaughter more than 20 cows per day and the meat will be sold from 7am to 3pm only," he added.

Along with Khalilur Rahman, meat traders Ujjal from Mirpur and Nayan Ahmed from Old Dhaka were present at the press conference today. They had also pledged to sell meat at a price lower than the official price.

Ujjal said, "I promised to sell beef at Tk595 during Ramadan. Now the price of cow is on the rise. As a result, the retail price has to be increased by Tk35 per kg. Thus, I will sell beef for the remaining days of Ramadan at Tk630 per kg. The price is still lower than the official price. Hopefully this trend [of selling meat at lower prices] will continue in the future."

Old Dhaka's Nayan Ahmed said, "I currently sell mixed beef pieces at Tk570 per kg and more selected pieces at Tk650 per kg. However, due to the rising cost of cattle driven by other traders willing to pay higher rates, I am compelled to purchase cows at elevated prices. Nevertheless, I intend to maintain the current rates for selling beef."

AHM Shafiquzzaman, director general (Additional Secretary) of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, said, "We have not called these businessmen here to promote their business, nor were they pressurised to come here. They have brought about major changes in the beef market, but they are now struggling. I want to hear them out. They will determine the price of meat themselves. The business is theirs. Profit and loss are also theirs."

"The message from our side to all traders is clear, sell meat within the price fixed by the Department of Agricultural Marketing. If these three businessmen can do it, it is possible for everyone," he added.

Earlier, at the end of last year, when beef was being sold at Tk700 to 750 per kg in the market, Khalilur Rahman came to the limelight by selling meat at a low price.

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection recently awarded the businessman with "Recognition of Best Practices in Business' on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day on 15 March.