In seven days, Dinjapur district has seen import of more than 10,000 tonnes of onion from India through Hili Land Port (HLP) at Hakimpur upazila, according to customs officials and importers.
The daily import of onion increased two to three times last week than the previous week through HLP alone to meet increasing demand of the essential commodity during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.
As a result, the onion price has marked a fall by Tk 2 to 3 per kg at different places now in the northern region of the country.
"A total of 501 Indian trucks loaded with 10,031 tonnes onion entered Bangladesh through HLP in only seven working days till May 10 last and continuing," said Rezvee Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner of the Customs at HLP on Sunday.
Around 50 Indian trucks loaded with onion are entering Bangladesh through HLP daily on an average since May 3 last as the average number of entering trucks with onion remained around 20 a day earlier.
Soon after completing necessary formalities the customs officials at HLP will release the imported onion so that the perishable commodity is saved from discomposure, adds Rezvee.
Businessmen are importing the 'Nasik', 'Patna', 'Gujarat', 'Indore', and Rajasthan' varieties of onion from India and selling those at wholesale rates at Hili to the bigger onion traders from different regions of the country.
President of the Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents' Association (CC&FAA) at HLP Kamal Hossain Raj said onion price would remain steady during holy Ramadan following huge import of the commodity from neighbouring India, reports BSS.
General Secretary of the CC&FAA Abdur Rahman Litan said the customs authorities are clearing imported onions at the quickest possible time helping the traders to ensure smooth and huge supply of the commodity in local markets.
"The imported onion is being sold at Tk 20 to 22 per kg at wholesale markets of Hili now while the common consumers are purchasing the same at Tk 22 to 25 per kg depending on the quality and variety," Litan said.
Almost 95 per cent of the imported onions are being sent to Dhaka, Chattogram, Cumilla, Mymensingh, Bogura, Sirajganj, Rangpur, Tangail, Narayanganj and other districts, he added.
A Rangpur City Bazar kitchen market, vegetables' retailer Hafizur Rahman said the market price of onion has fallen by Tk 2 to 3 during the past couple of days.
"We are now selling imported Indian onion at Tk 28 per kg when it was sold Tk 30 a few days ago and local variety onion at Tk 42 per kg now against Tk 45 last week," he also said.
