The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has begun selling onions at Tk30 per kg in Chittagong amid its price hike.
The state-owned organization began the activity in the port city starting from Sunday.
Jamal Uddin Ahmed, regional chief of TCB Chittagong, told the Dhaka Tribune that the state-run corporation decided to sell onions in the port city from Sunday so that people could buy the essential cooking item at a fair price.
“The TCB has started selling onions at 10 different points in the port city,” said the TCB official, adding that the onion sale would continue till October 1.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Thursday said the government will import a record amount of onions in 2020 to counteract the sudden instability in the onion market.
"Onion prices have already gone up in our market as well as in India. Therefore, a record amount of onions have been imported this year,” he said.
The minister also said a letter has been issued to withdraw the 5% duty on onion imports. Hopefully, the tariff will be revoked, he said.
Md Zafar Uddin, manager of Mohammadia Banijjalay of Khatunganj wholesale market, told the Dhaka Tribune that Indian onions were selling at Tk35 to Tk38 per kg on Sunday.
However, onions retailed at Tk50 per kg in different kitchen markets of the city.
According to the information provided by Chittagong Plant Quarantine Station (Sea Port), import permit (IP) was issued for 5120 metric tons of onions to be brought from China, Myanmar, Pakistan and Turkey in June, July, and August of 2020.
Importers are required to take import permits (IP) from Plant Quarantine Station before opening a letter of credit (LC) for importing agricultural products.
In June, July, and August of 2020, 1082 metric tons of onions imported from China and Myanmar have entered through the Chittagong sea port.
Deputy Director Chittagong Plant Quarantine Station (Sea Port) Dr Md Ashaduzzaman Bulbul, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were avoiding delays in issuing the IP in order to release the imported onions as quickly as possible.
