The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has stepped in to facilitate quick import of onion, as the Indian government allowed export of the spice from Karnataka on Monday.
After receiving a letter through official channel, the MoC officials have asked all concerned, especially people working in the ports, to extend all possible cooperation to bring onion in the country.
The director general of Indian foreign trade allowed export of Bangalore Rose onion up to 9,000 tonnes through Chennai Port until November 30.
Commerce Secretary Dr Jafar Uddin told the FE on Thursday that Bangladeshi businesses have already started contacting their Indian counterparts for importing onion following the development.
"We have asked all concerned to ensure that the imported onion enters into the country without any hindrance."
Besides, a large quantity of onion from Egypt will reach the ports by the first week of November.
Several big firms have already stepped in to import the item from some other onion producing countries, he added.
Narayan Chadra Saha, a leading Shyambazar-based spice importer, said he is hopeful of getting a significant quantity of onion from Bangalore soon.
He also said a meeting of the Indian traders, who mainly export onion to Bangladesh, will be held today (Friday) in this regard.
"We are expecting that Indian onion will be shipped to Bangladesh within a few days, as it takes four to five days to bring onion to Chittagong Port from Chennai Port," he added.
Md Shaidul Islam, another importer at Shyambazar, said prices of onion will decline by Tk 20-30 a kilogramme just with the entrance of Indian onion.
"Onion prices will become normal in late November with the beginning of seed onion harvest in few districts," he noted.
On Thursday, local variety of onion was sold between Tk 140 and Tk 150 per kg, while the imported one was sold between Tk 120 and Tk 140 per kg in the city's retail markets.
