Despite repeated announcements by different ministries regarding the import of onions, there was no impact on the high prices of onions on Saturday. Both local and foreign varieties of onions were being sold at Tk 80-90 per kilogram. The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) reported a 40 percent increase in onion prices within a week and a staggering 100 percent increase within a month. Although the Ministry of Agriculture is expected to make a formal announcement about onion imports, an official from the ministry stated that no such announcement had been made yet.
Commerce Minister had previously stated that the government would import onions due to the surging prices and had requested permission from the Ministry of Agriculture. However, the imports were initially suspended to safeguard the interests of farmers. The ministry reported that the country had a stock of approximately 1.8 million tonnes of onions, while 3.4 million tonnes were produced. The agriculture secretary expressed dissatisfaction with the price surge, stating that there was no justification for it considering the onion production and stock. Since the announcement of importing onions, prices have risen by an additional Tk 15-20 per kilogram.