Once again, vegetable markets are in turmoil. Despite good supplies, prices continue to climb in Dhaka and across the country under various pretexts.
Since May, the production of summer vegetables had been strong, keeping prices within a tolerable range. However, from late June, despite continued good supply, prices began to rise.
Traders and sellers have cited reasons such as heavy rains and flooding in several districts. Except for two or three items, most vegetables are now being sold at Tk 80 to Tk 120 per kilogram.
The relentless price hikes have angered buyers. Many believe profiteering syndicates are active once again, manipulating prices under false excuses to pocket higher profits. Consumers and rights groups are urging the government to take stricter control measures.
Karwan Bazar vegetable prices
Karwan Bazar, Dhaka’s largest and busiest wholesale market, receives the bulk of vegetable supplies from across the country. Retailers buy in bulk here before selling in other parts of the capital.
A visit to the market revealed that bitter gourd was selling at Tk 80–100 per kg, cucumber at Tk 80, okra at Tk 70–80, tomato at Tk 160–180, pointed gourd at Tk 80, yardlong bean at Tk 100, ridge gourd at Tk 80, arum stem at Tk 80–100, snake gourd at Tk 80, spine gourd at Tk 70–80, round eggplant at Tk 140, long eggplant at Tk 80, papaya at Tk 30, snake bean at Tk 80, and taro root at Tk 80 per kg. Bottle gourd was being sold at Tk 70 per piece and green chilli at Tk 220–240 per kg.
Mohammadpur Krishi Market
At Mohammadpur Krishi Market on Monday (August 25), all varieties of vegetables were being sold at higher prices.
Here, taro root was priced at Tk 100 per kg, bitter gourd at Tk 120, pointed gourd at Tk 100, eggplant at Tk 140–160, cucumber at Tk 70, arum root at Tk 50–60, okra at Tk 90, capsicum at Tk 500, wax gourd at Tk 60, yardlong bean at Tk 100, radish at Tk 80, carrot at Tk 120, pumpkin at Tk 60, papaya at Tk 30–35, arum stem at Tk 100, new beans at Tk 240–250, ripe tomato at Tk 160, green chilli at Tk 200, cauliflower (200 grams) at Tk 60, and cabbage at Tk 100 per kg. Pui spinach was selling at Tk 40 per bunch.
Mirpur 14 Market
At Mirpur 14 Battalion Bou Bazar, rows of fresh vegetables were on display. Customers carrying shopping bags moved from stall to stall, checking prices, many struggling to balance their budgets amid the sudden spike.
Tomatoes were Tk 180 per kg, black eggplant Tk 200, white eggplant Tk 140, round eggplant Tk 100, papaya Tk 30, beans Tk 300, spine gourd Tk 100, bitter gourd Tk 120, pumpkin Tk 60, ridge gourd Tk 100, pointed gourd Tk 80–120, cucumber Tk 60–80, drumsticks Tk 200, carrot Tk 140, okra Tk 100–120, arum stem Tk 100, arum root Tk 60, radish Tk 80, snake bean Tk 80, and green chilli Tk 160 per kg. Coriander leaves were selling at Tk 300 per kg. Bottle gourd ranged from Tk 80–100 each, cabbage Tk 120 each, cauliflower Tk 80–100 each, and wax gourd Tk 60–70 per piece.
Kazipara, Shewrapara and Pirerbagh markets in Mirpur
In these markets, vegetables were also selling at inflated prices. Only four items were available at Tk 30–60 per kg, while most others were priced between Tk 80 and Tk 120.
Papaya was Tk 30 per kg, pumpkin Tk 50, arum root Tk 60. Lemons sold at Tk 15–30 per four, bananas at Tk 40 per four, and wax gourd at Tk 60 per piece.
Most vegetables, however, were between Tk 80 and Tk 120 per kg. Eggplant was Tk 80–120 depending on variety, yardlong bean Tk 100, pointed gourd Tk 80–100, snake gourd Tk 80, snake bean Tk 80, arum stem Tk 80, okra Tk 80, spine gourd Tk 120, bitter gourd Tk 100–120, ridge gourd Tk 100, radish Tk 80, local cucumber Tk 100, and hybrid cucumber Tk 80. Bottle gourd was Tk 80 per piece.
Indian carrots were Tk 140 per kg, tomatoes Tk 180, drumsticks Tk 200, green chilli Tk 160–200, winter beans Tk 240, coriander leaves Tk 400, and capsicum Tk 400.
Different greens were selling at Tk 15–40 per bunch. Water spinach was Tk 15, amaranth Tk 20, red spinach Tk 25, pui spinach Tk 40, and bottle gourd leaves Tk 50.
Khulna
At Nirala market in Khulna, bitter gourd was Tk 100 per kg, cucumber Tk 60, okra Tk 80, tomato Tk 160, pointed gourd Tk 80, yardlong bean Tk 70, and ridge gourd Tk 70. Snake gourd was Tk 50, spine gourd Tk 80, round eggplant Tk 120, long eggplant Tk 80, arum Tk 80, papaya Tk 40, snake bean Tk 80, and green chilli Tk 200 per kg. Bottle gourd was Tk 50–60 each, hog plum Tk 35 per kg, red spinach Tk 40, and bottle gourd leaves Tk 60 per kg.
Barishal
At Barishal’s City Market and wholesale Onion Patti, eggplant was Tk 80 per kg, bitter gourd Tk 50, ridge gourd Tk 30, pointed gourd Tk 50, yardlong bean Tk 60, taro stem Tk 10, green chilli Tk 100, and cucumber Tk 40. Pumpkin was Tk 40 per piece, bottle gourd Tk 30, and wax gourd Tk 25–30.
In Barishal’s retail markets, eggplant was Tk 160 per kg, bitter gourd Tk 80, pumpkin Tk 60, ridge gourd Tk 60, pointed gourd Tk 60, green chilli Tk 200, cucumber Tk 60, wax gourd Tk 40, yardlong bean Tk 100, taro stem Tk 50, carrot Tk 120, and spine gourd Tk 80. Bottle gourd was selling at Tk 60–100 each.
Sylhet
Like in other parts of the country, vegetable prices have also risen sharply in Sylhet’s kitchen markets. Within just a week, the price of almost every vegetable has increased by Tk 10 to Tk 40 per kilogram.
A visit to Bandar Bazar, Ambarkhana and Madina Market in Sylhet city showed pointed gourd selling at Tk 80 per kg, okra at Tk 70–80, papaya at Tk 40, taro root at Tk 80, cucumber at Tk 80–100, ridge gourd at Tk 100, spine gourd at Tk 90, bitter gourd at Tk 80, snake bean at Tk 80–100, green chilli at Tk 280–300, carrot at Tk 160 and tomato at Tk 140 per kg. Ash gourd was priced at Tk 80–100 per piece, bottle gourd at Tk 120 each, and pui spinach at Tk 30 per kg.
Last week, prices were lower: pointed gourd was Tk 60 per kg, snake bean Tk 60, spine gourd Tk 60, bitter gourd Tk 80, hyacinth bean Tk 80, ridge gourd Tk 70, carrot Tk 150, taro root Tk 40, papaya Tk 40, and pumpkin Tk 60–70 per piece.
Riazuddin Market, Chattogram
In contrast, Chattogram’s Riazuddin wholesale vegetable market shows a huge price gap compared to Dhaka and other cities. Yardlong bean was selling at Tk 40 per kg, snake bean at Tk 20–25, ripe pumpkin from Thakurgaon at Tk 30–32, green pumpkin from Dohazari and Satkania at Tk 20, Katilal potato at Tk 13, Diamond potato at Tk 14, small washed potatoes at Tk 25, semi-washed potatoes at Tk 16, taro stem from Meherpur at Tk 18–20, taro root at Tk 5–6, papaya at Tk 10–13, pointed gourd at Tk 45, large eggplants from Sitakunda at Tk 90, cucumbers from Noakhali’s Subarnachar at Tk 15 (small) and Tk 28 (large), and ash gourd at Tk 15 per kg. Ridge gourd was Tk 30–35, okra Tk 40–45, snake gourd Tk 28–30, yardlong bean Tk 40, spine gourd Tk 40–55, bitter gourd Tk 30–35, and bottle gourd Tk 15 per piece.
What sellers say
Wholesalers and retailers said seasonal changes, higher transport costs and reduced wholesale supplies are behind the sudden surge in vegetable prices. They added that in many areas, flooding and heavy rain have disrupted harvesting. Once the rains ease and water recedes, prices are expected to fall again.
Karwan Bazar vegetable vendor Farid Mia said supplies had dropped significantly as most summer vegetables were nearing the end of their season. Constant rainfall was also damaging crops. He noted that prices would fall once new harvests entered the market.
He added that sales had declined since prices rose, with customers now buying half the quantity they used to. “Our business has gone down because of these high prices,” he said.
Explaining how repeated reselling pushes prices higher, trader Aslam Rahman said vegetables were often sold straight from the truck after arriving in Karwan Bazar, each transaction adding to the cost. “Wholesale prices at night are much lower than what customers pay retail,” he said, adding that low supply during this rainy season further drives up rates.
Shafiqul Islam, a vendor at Mirpur 14’s Bou Bazar, said vegetable prices had “shot up in recent days.” He blamed floods and rain in several districts, but also pointed to syndicates hoarding goods such as green chillies to artificially drive up prices. Small traders like him face difficulties as they must sell in small quantities, often angering buyers with higher rates.
In Khulna’s Nirala market, trader Ayon Sheikh said heavy rains had reduced supply, pushing up prices by Tk 10–30 per kg over the last 15 days.
Sylhet’s Rikabibazar vendor Anwar Hossain said monsoon rains were pushing prices higher, causing some fluctuations. At times, he said, vegetables had to be sold at lower than purchase prices to prevent spoilage. “In the wholesale markets, prices are already high. Sylhet has no local vegetable supply; everything comes from other districts. That drives up costs several times over. Prices are unlikely to fall for another three or four months,” he added.
Explaining why Chattogram’s prices differ, Mahbub Rana, president of the Chattogram Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Exporters Association, said districts such as Dohazari, Sitakunda, Mirsarai, Rangunia and the three hill tracts produce abundant vegetables, keeping local prices low compared to Dhaka. “Here, potatoes, onions and some vegetables come from Munshiganj, Faridpur, Pabna and Noakhali, but most are locally grown. Because they reach wholesale markets quickly, quality is better. We collect fresh produce and export it to the UAE, where demand is strong due to the large Chattogram community,” he said.
Consumers urge stronger monitoring of markets
The sudden instability in vegetable prices has put pressure on low and lower-middle-income households. Many blame weak monitoring systems for the surge in daily essentials, arguing that government oversight is largely absent. They warn that if this continues, life for low-income groups will become unbearable, potentially leading to rising theft, mugging and social unrest.
Food inflation reached 7.56 percent in July, and consumers fear it will rise further in August. They believe controlling inflation is now the government’s greatest challenge.
Shawkat Osman, a small trader shopping in Kazipara, Mirpur, told BanglaNews that soaring prices are making life extremely difficult. “Business is already slow, yet every time I come to the market, I face fresh discomfort. Nothing is stable, and there is no government control. Sellers raise prices at will, and survival has become hard for people like us.”
Ismail Hossain, a customer at Shewrapara’s Oli Miartek market, said occasional government drives are ineffective. “Fines for manipulation are so small that offenders repeat the crime. Laws need reform, and monitoring must increase,” he said.
Syed Obaidul Haque of Ibrahimpur said vegetable prices rise and fall unpredictably. “If this continues, it will be impossible for middle-income families like ours to manage,” he remarked.
In Mirpur’s SP Para, homemaker Rubina Akhter shook her head repeatedly as she asked the price of each vegetable. “We run a small household, yet now our budget collapses every time. What used to cost Tk 500 for three days’ groceries now requires Tk 1,000,” she said.
Beside her, rickshaw-puller Habibur Rahman described his struggle: “I earn Tk 500–600 a day working in the sun. With four or five mouths to feed, I cannot afford fish or meat anymore. Now even vegetables are out of reach. We live on rice with vegetables, but prices are so high, even that is slipping away.”
Elderly Subhash Das sighed in frustration: “Farmers are growing crops, yet we cannot buy them at fair prices. The real problem lies with middlemen’s exploitation and lack of effective monitoring.”
Consumer Rights official calls for coordinated effort
Bikash Chandra Das, Deputy Director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) in Dhaka Division, said their monitoring operations are ongoing. On August 24, raids were carried out at Karwan Bazar’s vegetable market and Tejgaon’s egg wholesale market.
“We fined Tk 60,000 at the egg wholesale market, Tk 10,000 at Karwan Bazar, Tk 17,000 at Mohammadpur Town Hall, and Tk 15,000 at Shantinagar market for irregularities,” he said. “Our work is ongoing, but market control requires a coordinated effort from all monitoring wings.”
CAB: Price hikes linked to reduced raids
SM Nazer Hossain, Vice President of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), argued that nationwide drives to control commodity prices have been reduced. As a result, law enforcement is weak and the market has become unregulated.
“During the interim government, monitoring drives decreased. After August 5 last year, unscrupulous traders had some fear, but now that fear is gone. They are ignoring the law and engaging in unethical practices. This has made the market uncontrollable. The only way out is strict enforcement of the law. Once that happens, prices will come down,” he said.
(Report prepared by Senior Correspondent SM A Kalam, Zafor Ahmad, Tanvir Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman Munna, GM Mujibur, Nasir Uddin, Al Rahman and Staff Correspondent Mushfiq Saurav)
SMS
