Written by The Banking Post
Local edible-oil refiners have proposed a price hike of Tk 9-13 per litre, potentially raising the cost of basic cooking oil for consumers, industry sources said. The Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners’ and Vanaspati Manufacturers’ Association (BVORVMA) submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), suggesting the new rates take effect from April 9.
Under the proposal, the price of a litre of bottled soybean oil would rise to Tk 207, loose soybean oil to Tk 185 per litre, palm oil to Tk 177 per litre, and a five-litre bottle of soybean oil to Tk 1,020. The Ministry of Commerce and the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) are expected to review the submission before any official approval.
Consumers expressed immediate concern over the potential increase. “The prices go up every few months, but our salary stays the same,” said a shopper at Segunbagicha market in Dhaka. “If five litres of bottled soybean oil cost over Tk 1,020, it becomes a luxury rather than a basic necessity.”
This would mark the second significant increase in four months. In December 2025, refiners raised bottled soybean oil by Tk 6 to Tk 195, palm oil by Tk 16 to Tk 166, and loose soybean oil by Tk 7 to Tk 176. The five-litre bottled soybean oil was then fixed at Tk 955.
Reports indicate that some loose oil is already being sold above the current rates, ahead of the proposed April 9 increase. A minor cooking oil shortage was also observed during the Ramadan period.
Bangladesh consumes roughly 2.4–2.5 million tonnes of edible oil annually, with more than 95 per cent imported. In FY24, imports of non-refined edible oil reached about 2.3 million tonnes, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
