Beef prices remain high on Eid day in capital

Since early morning on Eid day, light rain had been falling across the capital Dhaka. However, despite the weather, many people went ahead with their necessary shopping. While most fresh produce and fish markets remained closed, some grocery, sweet, and meat shops were open on a limited scale.

On Saturday (March 21), visits to areas such as Mirpur, Bashundhara, North Dhanmondi (Norda), and Badda revealed that shoppers, undeterred by mud and rain, were flocking to the shops open for urgent purchases. Fish and vegetable shops, however, were almost completely shut.

Even on Eid day, beef prices remained high, ranging from Tk 810 to Tk 860 per kilogram. Vendors noted that the price of each cow had increased by nearly Tk 10,000 on average over the past week, pushing beef prices up by around Tk 100 per kilogram.

The price hike became particularly noticeable from the night of Chand Raat (the night before Eid). Just a couple of days before Eid, beef was selling for Tk 790–800 per kilogram, but by Chand Raat, prices had risen by Tk 50–60 per kilogram.

Abdur Rahman bought 2 kilograms of beef for Tk 1,680 from Muslim Bazaar in Mirpur. He said, “Due to the crowd the previous day, I couldn’t buy it, so I had to purchase it on Eid day, but the price hasn’t dropped.”

Vendors expect that beef prices may slightly fall after Eid as demand decreases.

Shoppers and vendors also mentioned that the high price of beef has led many people to turn to chicken, pushing its prices up as well. On Eid day, broiler chicken sold for Tk 210–230 per kilogram, while Sonali chicken was priced at Tk 380–400 per kilogram. A week ago, broiler chicken was priced between Tk 180–200 per kilogram. A vendor from Mirpur’s 11th sector noted that sales of broiler chicken had increased three- to four-fold on the day before Eid and on Chand Raat.

Among the grocery shops that remained open on Eid day, sales of soft drinks, ice cream, chocolates, and chips saw a notable rise, boosted by children’s Eid pocket money.

Some shoppers, due to their busy schedules, hadn’t completed their shopping in advance and purchased items such as vermicelli, rice, oil, and spices on Eid day. Businesses reported that the prices of vermicelli and milk remained stable due to steady demand, but there was a shortage of soybean oil in some areas. Additionally, the prices of spices and aromatic rice saw a slight increase.