The price of the most-consumed items during Ramadan such as chickpeas, dried peas and dates has increased in the wholesale markets in Dhaka and Chattogram due to a supply shortage, two months before the fasting month begins.
Amid the struggle to cope with the record hike in edible oil prices, a fresh surge in prices of other daily essentials has dealt a further blow to those with low incomes.
Lentil imports on the rise
Low domestic production the cause, experts say
Bangladesh s lentil imports are on the rise due to increased consumption amid inadequate domestic production.
Farmers produce 1.75 lakh tonnes of lentils annually while various businesses and importers say that the country s yearly requirement is around 6-7 lakh tonnes.
Lentil imports hit 5.21 lakh tonnes between July-September of 2020, a 58 per cent increase compared to the same period the year before, data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics shows.
Consumption is increasing and imports have shot up, said Abul Bashar Chowdhury, chairman of BSM Group, one of the leading importers of consumer goods.