BTTC urges govt to permit onion imports

Staff Reporter :

Amid a sharp spike in onion prices, the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) has advised the government to permit imports to help cool the market.

Data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh show retail onion prices in Dhaka jumped to Tk 110–120 per kg yesterday, up from Tk 70–80 just a week earlier — a 53percent surge.

The BTTC linked the sudden price hike partly to delays in planting early-season ‘Murikata’ onions, which could push back harvesting and tighten supply.

BTTC Chairman Moinul Khan said market intermediaries were also attempting to engineer an artificial crisis. “We have recommended issuing quick approvals for limited onion imports,” he noted.

Onion prices in India are currently lower than in Bangladesh, making imports from the neighbouring country a potentially effective way to bring down domestic prices. Even after paying the 10 percent import duty, imported onions could retail below Tk 50 per kg, according to the commission.

Given the favourable price gap, the BTTC said there is no immediate need to adjust the duty rate — only speedy import approvals to ease supply pressure.

A recent BTTC analysis highlights recurring seasonal volatility: average onion prices stood at Tk 42 per kg in March 2025, but have since surged by roughly 150 percent to Tk 105 in November.

Over the past three years, prices have typically more than doubled between March April and November, underscoring the need for a lasting policy response to prevent repeated market disruptions.