Bangladesh’s retail food prices have spiked again just as the interim government marks one year in office, with households reporting steep increases across rice, pulses, eggs, chicken, fish and vegetables despite adequate supplies.
Shoppers and traders in Dhaka’s Sutrapur, Ray Saheb Bazar and Nayabazar say prices now fluctuate daily, with little certainty from stall to stall, forcing families—especially low- and middle-income groups—to cut back to the bare minimum.
At markets visited by this correspondent, coarse rice was selling at around Tk 60 a kilo and finer varieties at up to Tk 90. Red lentils (moshur dal) were about Tk 160 a kilo. Egg prices, which had eased briefly, have risen again to roughly Tk 50 per four (hali). Broiler chicken hovered around Tk 170–180 per kilo, while “sonali” chicken cost Tk 300–320. Beef ranged between Tk 750 and Tk 800 per kilo and mutton up to Tk 1,250.
Fish prices climbed week on week: farmed rui and katla were retailing at Tk 350–450 a kilo; tilapia Tk 220–260; pangasius Tk 200–250. Farmed shrimp reached Tk 750–800 a kilo and river shrimp Tk 1,000–1,200.
Vegetable prices were similarly elevated. Yardlong beans sold at about Tk 100 a kilo; ridge gourd, snake gourd, sponge gourd and teasel gourd at roughly Tk 80; cucumber at Tk 100; pointed gourd at Tk 80; papaya at Tk 30; bottle gourd at Tk 60 per piece; radish at Tk 80; tomato at Tk 140; bitter gourd at Tk 80; round eggplant at Tk 140; long eggplant at Tk 100; pumpkin at Tk 60; okra at Tk 80; arum at Tk 60; and carrot at Tk 130. Early winter vegetables have appeared but remain expensive, with hyacinth bean (shim) above Tk 200 a kilo. Green chilli prices, which spiked after heavy rain, have eased to Tk 180–200.
Shoppers interviewed described widening gaps between wholesale and retail prices and accused an “invisible syndicate” of manipulating supply to inflate margins. Several said they now buy only what is cheapest on the day, sometimes queueing for state-backed Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) sales to cope. Low-income workers reported cutting protein and relying on eggs—now also costly—while rickshaw-pullers and day labourers said regular meat or fish has become a luxury.
Retailers pointed to erratic wholesale rates, transport disruptions and bouts of bad weather as immediate drivers of volatility. Market stakeholders also cited structural weaknesses: Bangladesh’s limited cold-chain and storage capacity for perishables, middlemen capturing outsized mark-ups, and the pass-through from a stronger dollar to imported essentials such as pulses, edible oil, spices and some fruits.
Officials said enforcement continues. An assistant director at the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) noted that daily inspections are carried out and that those raising prices unfairly face legal action.
The Commerce Ministry said monitoring teams are tracking prices and supply conditions. Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman—appointed in February 2025—told this reporter the ministry is collecting daily price data from consumers, adding that sugar and rice have eased while vegetables remain high; onion prices, he said, receded after fresh import approvals. He also noted proposals to raise cooking-oil prices have not been accepted, and ministry records show lentil prices have softened. Egg prices in recent reports were Tk 42–45 per piece by the dozen. Heavy rains over roughly a fortnight had pushed up prices of perishables, he said, especially vegetables and eggs.
Economist Dr Mahfuz Kabir, research director at the state think tank Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), said the relentless rise in daily necessities is straining not just one social group but the wider economy, posing a major policy challenge. He identified supply-chain frictions, higher transport costs, the exchange-rate shock and entrenched market syndicates as core pressures, arguing that ad-hoc raids are no substitute for modern, transparent market management from farm to table.
The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) urged stronger market oversight, warning that without sustained monitoring and action against collusion, prices will keep climbing. CAB’s general secretary, Advocate Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan, said most vegetables—bar potato and papaya—now sell for above Tk 100 a kilo in many outlets, squeezing consumers daily.
While the ministry says interventions at wholesale hubs can quickly stabilise prices, analysts and consumer advocates counter that only coordinated policies—combining storage and logistics upgrades, tighter import-price pass-through scrutiny, and consistent enforcement—will deliver lasting relief. For now, middle-class households are cutting non-food spending to pay for groceries, and lower-income families report skipping protein altogether.
SMS/
