A group of friends attending a wedding in Kurigram's Ulipur upazila chose to gift two kilograms of green chillies as a wedding gift, sparking amusement and conversations around the surging prices of the essential commodity.
The wedding ceremony took place on Sunday in Nondu Nefra village in the Gunaigas union of Ulipur upazila.
Five friends arrived bearing green chillies as a gift for the groom Bayzid Bandhan, the son of Mokhlesur Rahman of Gorai Panchpir village in the upazila, who was marrying Fima Akhtar, the daughter of Ferdous Ali of the same upazila.
The idea of giving chillies as a gift, however, was more than just a friendly jest; it was a symbolic gesture to protest against the high prices of green chillies.
Sabuj, one of the friends, said: "I have never seen or heard of such high prices for green chillies in my lifetime. We planned this to make the wedding memorable. It is not just a well-wishing gift but a protest against the outrageous prices of chillies. You could call it a joke too. Primarily, it symbolizes our frustration at the price hikes."
Both the groom and bride expressed their surprise and amusement at the unique gift.
“My friends, like the chillies, are sweet and spicy,” said the groom, praising the unconventional ideas of his friends.
Bayzid, however, expressed his joy at receiving such a thoughtful gift, especially considering the soaring prices of chillies.
Fima echoed his sentiments, saying: "I have never heard of such a gift before. It is amusing."
The prices of green chillies have surged due to low production and supply issues across the country. In Kurigram's markets, the price per kilogram of chillies has hiked to Tk500-Tk520.
The government has begun to import chillies to control market prices, and shipments from India have already started to arrive in Bangladesh.
Officials believe that the price of chillies will return to a reasonable level within a few days.