Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin said on Sunday that the government will approve onion imports if market prices do not fall to a tolerable level within this week.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Commerce at the Secretariat, he said there has been a bumper onion harvest and no shortage in supply. “The government has distributed 10,000 high-flow machines to help preserve onions,” he added.
The adviser said the ministry has already received 2,800 applications for onion import. “If prices remain high for another four to five days, import permissions will be granted,” he said, noting that the recent surge of Tk 40–50 per kilogram was “unjustified.”
Onion prices have nearly doubled over the past week, rising from around Tk 70 to Tk 130 per kilogram in local markets. Consumers blame weak market monitoring and trader syndicates for the sudden spike.
Officials from the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) have recommended importing a limited quantity of onions to stabilize the market. The BTTC noted that onion prices typically rise between October and December each year.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
