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Just ahead of Ramadan, prices of essential commodities have surged in wholesale and retail markets, ending months of relative stability.
Despite ample imports and stock levels surpassing demand, consumers are paying higher prices amid election disruptions, a labour strike at Chattogram Port, and fears of market syndicates regaining control.
Market insiders said that by mid-February, imports of most essential items had already surpassed typical Ramadan demand.
As in previous years, both large corporate groups and small-to-medium traders brought in substantial volumes of Ramadan essentials, leaving little chance of shortages or price hikes under normal conditions, they said.
However, they alleged that supply disruptions caused by the port situation, election holidays, and transport shortages were being exploited to hike prices.
Recent visits to wholesale and retail hubs in Chattogram, including Khatunganj and Chaktai, revealed a sharp rise in prices of chickpeas, edible oil, dates, sugar, and pulses.
Chickpeas, a Ramadan staple in Bangladesh, recorded a 77.61% surge in imports this year.
According to Chattogram Custom House, 295,056 tonnes of chickpeas were imported in 2025, up from 166,126 tonnes in 2024. Despite this 28.29% surplus over annual demand, retail prices have risen by Tk7–10 per kg in the past two weeks.
Retailers are now selling chickpeas at Tk90–95 per kg, up from Tk80–82 at the start of the month, while wholesale prices have risen to Tk75–77 from Tk62–65.
Ehsan Ullah Zahedi of Messer’s Al Madina in Khatunganj attributed the price surge to supply disruptions stemming from the port crisis.
“Prices rose by Tk5–6 due to supply bottlenecks. Now that deliveries have resumed, we hope the market will stabilise soon,” he said.
Edible oil prices have also surged despite ample imports. The National Board of Revenue data show that around 574,000 tonnes of soybean and palm oil were imported between December and mid-February, alongside a 15% rise in soybean seed imports.
Although Ramadan demand is estimated at around 300,000 tonnes, wholesale soybean oil prices in Chattogram have risen to Tk195 per litre from Tk185 over the past two weeks.
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Despite this, wholesale prices have risen by Tk50–100 per kg, depending on quality.
The sharpest price hikes were seen in low-cost varieties, commonly bought by low-income consumers.
Chattogram Fruit Vendors Association General Secretary Touhidul Alam said, “There is a shortage of Zahedi dates. A ship carrying a large consignment recently sank, and many importers delayed orders in hopes of further duty cuts, creating a supply gap.”
Sugar prices followed a similar trend. Imports over the past two and a half months reached 473,000 tonnes, nearly 39% higher than last year, yet both loose and packaged sugar prices have risen by about Tk5 per kg. Lentils, another Ramadan staple, have also become more expensive. Despite imports exceeding demand, retail prices of red lentils rose to Tk100 per kg from Tk90 in just two weeks, while wholesale prices climbed to Tk78–85.