Dhaka's onion market has experienced a sudden and sharp price spike, with traders reporting increases of Tk 30-35 per kilogram within just two days. A tightening supply of old onions, delays in new harvests, and stalled import decisions have created fresh volatility, prompting frustration among consumers across the capital.
On Friday, local onions were selling at Tk 138-145 per kg at the wholesale level in Dhaka, while retail prices climbed to around Tk 160 per kg. Visits to Sadek Khan Agricultural Market in Rayer Bazar, as well as several retail and wholesale hubs including Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur Town Hall Market, painted a consistent picture of rising prices and anxious traders.
Rafiq Mia, a shopkeeper at Sadek Khan Market, said, "On Friday, small local onions are being sold at Tk 138 per kg and large ones at Tk 145 per kg. The price has been very high for the last two days." He added that the same onions were selling for Tk 110-115 only on Wednesday.
Another retailer in the same market, requesting anonymity, said prices could climb even higher on Saturday. "Where we buy onions in the wholesale market, they are selling at Tk 5,800 to Tk 6,000 per maund. So we have no choice but to sell at higher rates," he said.
According to traders, the surge is driven mainly by a shortage of old onions in the supply chain. They insist that unless India allows onion exports to Bangladesh, prices will remain elevated. Several shopkeepers claimed that Indian onions are already waiting at ports, and a price drop is likely only if import permission is granted.
At Mohammadpur Town Hall Market, onion seller Amjad Hossain said the situation may not improve soon. "The new onions have not arrived in the market yet. The local onions that are coming are of poor quality. Supply has been low for two to three days, so wholesale prices are rising. Prices won't fall until the new onions arrive," he said.
The sudden hike has sparked dissatisfaction among consumers. Manjurul Islam, a retail buyer, said, "The onions I bought last week for Tk 115 are Tk 155 today. The government must look into this. If we import Indian onions, prices will come down."
Sources revealed that the Ministry of Commerce had proposed importing 500 tonnes of onions to stabilise the market, but the Ministry of Agriculture opposed the move, arguing that domestic onions would arrive by mid-November. Nearly a month later, the supply remains inadequate, leading to renewed instability.
Meanwhile, small quantities of new onions with leaves have begun to appear in the market, priced at Tk 70-80 per kg. However, prices of old domestic onions continue to rise, forcing buyers to pay Tk 150-160 per kg.
The market is also witnessing unrest over the price of soybean oil. Over the past two days, traders have raised the price of bottled soybean oil by Tk 9 per litre without government approval. A 5-litre bottle has gone up by Tk 43, while a 2-litre bottle now costs Tk 18 more.
Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin warned on Wednesday that traders cannot legally increase oil prices without government authorisation. He stated that such actions violate the law and assured that steps would be taken against those responsible.
