Govt allows to import 1,500 tonnes of onions from India

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), under the Ministry of Agriculture, has granted permission to 50 companies to import 1,500 tonnes of onions from India.

The approvals, known as Import Permits (IP), were issued on Sunday after an automated verification and selection process.

According to sources at the DAE, a total of 3,500 applications for IPs have been received so far. On Sunday, 50 applications were selected. Priority was given to those who accessed the server earliest.

Agricultural Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told reporters that each importer will be granted an IP for a maximum of 30 metric tonnes at a time, with fifty IPs issued daily.

He added that the move aims to stabilise the market. “The price of onions had suddenly surged to around Tk40–45 per kg. Following the announcement of import permission yesterday, prices have eased slightly today,” he said.

The Department of Agricultural Extension noted that the IPs will remain valid until 31 March 2026.

The Ministry of Agriculture announced the import permission on Saturday after retail onion prices in Dhaka exceeded Tk150 per kg within a week. Only those importers who had applied for IPs since 1 August were eligible to receive the permits.