Staff Correspondent
Dinajpur, August 17, 2025
The Hili Land Port in Dinajpur has reopened its gates to Indian onions after a five-and-a-half-month pause, sparking hopes of price relief in Bangladesh’s volatile onion market. Seven approved importers are set to bring in 230 metric tons of onions starting Sunday afternoon, with Radhe-Shyam & Sons leading the shipment at 50 metric tons, while six other firms import 30 metric tons each.
The last onion shipment through Hili arrived on March 2, after which local market stability had paused imports. But with domestic onion prices recently soaring to 70 BDT per kg, traders rushed to secure fresh supplies from India.
Bablur Rahman, an importer with Satata Baniyalaya, confirmed his 30-metric-ton consignment is en route. “After customs clearance, we’ll set wholesale prices based on costs and margins,” he said. Meanwhile, local retailer Estamul Haque voiced concerns: “If Indian onions flood the market, we’ll have to sell our existing stock at a loss.”
Anwar Hossain, deputy director of Hili’s plant quarantine center, confirmed the shipments and hinted at potential additional approvals. As traders and consumers watch closely, all eyes are now on whether this long-awaited import wave will cool down Bangladesh’s simmering onion prices.