Limited onion imports from Sunday to curb soaring prices

In an emergency move to stabilise surging onion prices, the Ministry of Agriculture announced Saturday night that limited imports of onions will be permitted starting Sunday, December 7.

Under the new directive, only 50 import permits (IPs) will be issued daily, with each permit allowing a maximum of 30 tonnes of onion. The measure aims to “keep the onion market bearable,” the ministry said in a press release.

The import window is restricted to traders who submitted applications for export permits between August 1 and December 6, 2025. Each eligible importer may reapply only once under this scheme.

The ministry added that the arrangement will remain in force “until further orders.”

The decision comes amid a sharp price spike that has left consumers reeling.

Over the past 48 hours alone, retail onion prices in Dhaka have jumped by Tk 40-50 per kilogram, reaching Tk 140-150 per kg, levels not seen in recent months.

Wholesale markets reflect even steeper increases. A “palla” (5 kg) of onion, which sold for Tk 485-500 as recently as Tuesday, now fetches Tk 650-680.

Traders report per-sack price hikes of Tk 850-1,000 within days.

“This sudden surge makes no sense,” said Harunur Rashid, an onion trader in Rampura. “Early-season ‘murikata’ onions have started arriving – prices should be falling, not climbing.”

Indeed, even the newly harvested murikata variety – typically cheaper – has seen its price rise from Tk 70-80 per kg to around Tk 90 per kg due to limited supply and heightened demand as consumers seek alternatives to costly old-stock onions.

Market participants blame weak regulatory oversight for the volatility. “Traders are running the market however they want,” said Ehsanul Haque, a buyer in Rampura. “Without strict monitoring, consumers will keep suffering.”

Economists and market analysts have long warned that onion price instability in Bangladesh stems from fragmented supply chains, speculative hoarding, and delayed policy responses. The latest import allowance is seen as a reactive – but necessary – step to inject supply and curb profiteering.