Demand for sugar, dates, soybean oil, chickpeas and various types of lentils used in preparing iftar items increased during Ramadan, but prices of most goods are high this year with prices of sugar and edible oil rising over the past year.
The prices of dates, chickpeas and lentils also increased ahead of Ramadan while the price of onions, eggplants, cucumbers and lemons are also high and exotic fruits have already been out of reach. As a result, people will struggle to arrange itfar items this year.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), this year prices of sugar, dates, beads and anchor lentils reached a three-year high.
As per TCB, prices of sugar increased by Tk 60-67 a kg to Tk 140-145 a kg in 2024 from Tk 78-80 a kg before Ramadan in 2022 while prices of chickpeas rose by Tk 25-40 a kg to Tk 100-110 a kg in 2024 from Tk 70-75 a kg prior to Ramadan in 2021. However, market prices of sugar and chickpeas are Tk 5 higher than the TCB prices.
Trader Kamul Islam owns Lakshimpur Store in the capital’s Karwan Bazar. He told Prothom Alo that prices of chickpeas and various types of lentils are on the rise ahead of Ramadan. The price of gram flour also increased to Tk 140-150 a kg.
According to TCB, prices of anchor dal rose to Tk 80-90 a kg in 2024 from Tk 55-60 a kg before Ramadan in 2022 while prices of local varieties of onions increased to Tk 90-100 a kg from Tk 30-80 a kg in 2022.