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With only days left before Ramadan, date markets in the capital have turned busy, as shoppers crowd stalls and bargain over prices ahead of the holy month.

On Saturday, traders at Karwan Bazar and nearby makeshift stalls reported brisk sales, fuelled by the return of city dwellers after the extended election break.

Rows of shops are stacked with dates of different varieties, sizes and origins. Buyers are comparing quality and negotiating rates, while sellers insist prices are largely unchanged from last year.

Consumers, however, say otherwise.

“The price of dates is high. I bought a kilogram of fairly good dates for Tk 600. The seller had asked for Tk 700. I brought it down by bargaining,” said Akash Rahman, a private-sector employee shopping at Karwan Bazar. “Since dates are essential for Ramadan, it would have been better if the price was a little lower.”

Wide price band

Retail prices now range from Tk 250 to Tk 1,800 per kg, depending on quality and origin.

Mabroom dates are selling at Tk 400–450 per kg, Dabbas at Tk 400, and Sukkaru (regular quality) at Tk 250–300. Medium-grade Amber varieties are priced between Tk 700 and Tk 1,600, while Maryam dates are selling for Tk 500–1,000. Premium Medjool and Ajwa varieties are fetching Tk 1,200–1,500 per kg.

Bangladesh meets its entire demand for dates through imports, with around 80% sourced from Middle Eastern countries. Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are key suppliers.

Traders say demand is particularly strong for Medjool, Ajwa, Amber, Mabroom and Sukkari varieties from Saudi Arabia, while Maryam dates from Jordan, Iran and Egypt are also popular. Lower-priced Zahidi and Dabbas varieties, widely consumed by low-income buyers, mainly come from Iraq.

Official data vs market reality

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), normal-quality dates are selling between Tk 180 and Tk 550 per kg — unchanged from a week ago.

TCB data show that at the same time last year, prices ranged from Tk 260 to Tk 520 per kg, indicating an overall decline of about 6.41% year-on-year.

However, traders at Karwan Bazar are charging slightly above the official rates.

A vendor at a fruit shop in the area said sales have surged as Ramadan approaches. “After being closed for a few days, many customers are coming to buy dates now that shops have reopened. The market is quite intense.”

Shoppers echoed concerns about prices but acknowledged steady supply.

“The price of dates is a little high now. There is good supply in the market. Prices are high mainly because everything is imported,” said Ishaq Sarkar, a government employee. “If monitoring increases, I hope prices will gradually come down.”

Government assurances

At a recent meeting of the commodity price monitoring task force at the Ministry of Commerce, officials reviewed price trends over the past month and year.

According to the report presented at the meeting, domestic prices of dates fell by 2.67% in December, settling between Tk 180 and Tk 550 per kg, depending on quality.

Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said traders have assured the government that supply of essentials will remain normal during Ramadan.

“In the task force meeting, traders assured us that the supply of daily necessities would be normal during Ramadan. Prices of commodities will be under control,” he said. “Prices will not increase; rather, some may decrease further. Essential goods will remain within people’s budgets during this Ramadan.”