Onion price hike costs consumers Tk 3.5 crore daily; import decision hangs in balance

Onion prices have doubled in just ten days, forcing consumers to spend an extra Tk 3.5 crore daily, while indecision within the government has delayed approval for imports, leaving both buyers and farmers in a precarious situation.Consumer rights groups and market experts say the crisis is driven by delayed imports, weak market management, and syndicate activities.The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has calculated that the country’s daily consumer demand for onions stands at around 7,000 metric tonnes. With prices rising from Tk 60–70 per kg to Tk 110–120 per kg in a short span, the extra daily burden on consumers’ pockets reaches Tk 3.5 crore.Former director general of the Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection and CAB president AHM Safiquzzaman criticised the government’s indecision. “The government is indecisive on onion imports. Meanwhile, consumers are losing crores of taka daily,” he said.Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin said the government would allow ...

• 10 Nov 2025