United News of Bangladesh

Businessmen have raised the price of edible oil in the market without obtaining approval from the Ministry of Commerce, increasing the price of bottled soybean oil by Tk 9 per litre — a move that will face action, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said on Wednesday (December 03, 2025). During visits to several markets in the city, five-litre bottles of soybean oil were found selling at Tk 965, up from Tk 922 just days ago. Aseem Halder, a grocer at Uttar Badda Kacha Bazar, said, “Companies have increased soybean oil prices by Tk 9 per litre. What was Tk 189 per litre is now Tk 198. Loose soybean oil has also gone up by Tk 5 per litre.” Read more: Govt to allow onion import to curb price hike: Commerce Adviser  Asked whether the ministry approved the hike, the adviser said traders raised prices without notifying the government. “They did not discuss the matter with the ministry,” he told reporters. “Just a few days ago, through a tender, they offered us soybean oil at Tk 20 less per litre than the existing market rate. We purchased 50 lakh litres of soybean oil. I don’t know on what grounds they have now increased the price,” he said. The adviser said the ministry will sit with traders soon, and if they fail to justify the hike, the new prices will not be approved. Read more: BERC raises LPG price for December When asked how traders raised prices without government clearance, he added, “They tried to increase prices in October as well, but we didn’t approve it — and the market didn’t follow the hike either. We will sit with them again.” Regarding commodity prices ahead of Ramadan, the adviser said the prices will remain stable as necessary measures have already been taken, and mentioned that the prices of chickpeas, sugar and lentils have recently declined. According to the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association, companies sent a letter to the ministry on November 10 seeking approval to raise soybean oil prices. On November 24, they again recommended a price adjustment, but the ministry did not respond. Read more: Raiding retailers won’t help, real culprits must be caught: Adviser Bashir

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Tuesday (11th November 2025) said that raids on retail and mid-level outlets have limited impact, as the main perpetrators behind market irregularities often escape accountability.  “Our goal is to protect consumers’ interests, not to restrict trade,” he said on Tuesday while speaking at a views-exchange meeting with edible oil delivery order (DO) traders at the commerce ministry. The adviser emphasised that facilitating both domestic and international trade is the ministry’s core function, and it has been working sincerely to achieve that objective. “As consumers ourselves, it’s only natural that my ministry and I will work in favour of consumer welfare,” he said, urging DO traders to cooperate and provide guidance in stabilising the market. Warning that decisive measures will be taken to protect consumer rights, Bashir Uddin said such steps would be taken regardless of who they affect. Read more: Govt working on Tk 100-crore fund to revive jute bags: Adviser Bashir He said the traditional practice of controlling the edible oil market through raids at retail or mid-level shops has proven largely ineffective. “The entire supply chain—from producers or importers to DO traders, wholesalers, and retailers—must come under regulatory oversight,” he said, adding that mill owners, DO traders, or both might be responsible for market instability. “It’s unrealistic to think a small retailer hiding 500 bottles of oil under his counter is causing market chaos. TV channels may show dramatic footage of oil seizures, the public may applaud, but in reality, such drives achieve nothing. The small grocer is blamed while the real manipulators walk free,” the adviser said. Bashir Uddin said the government will make sure no one can destabilise the edible oil market, and vowed to identify and act against the real offenders. At the meeting, DO traders complained about not receiving products on time from mill owners and urged the ministry to resolve the issue. Read more: Vitamin-fortified safe edible oil essential to protect public health: Speakers

The government will allow onion import from any country to bring down its soaring prices. Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin announced the decision at a press briefing following a meeting to set the export targets for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The adviser said imports will be approved based on market demand and supply. Onion prices surge in Bangladesh amid import halt, supply shortages "Our main objective is to reduce onion prices and increase supply.Therefore, we will allow imports from wherever the lowest price can be found, not just from India," he said. The price of onions has increased from Tk 60 to Tk 80-85 per kilogram over the past week. Although the government has announced the import decision the exact timeline and quantity have not yet been announced yet.

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Tuesday said rawhides this year have fetched the highest prices in the past decade, thanks to effective government steps, despite some spoilage by seasonal traders. "Some misinformation is being circulated. While it is true that a few hides were spoiled, this was due to errors made by temporary, seasonal traders. Even those damaged hides are being sold at relatively good prices," he told reporters after visiting the Chakbaidyanath Leather Market in Natore town. The adviser said the enhanced capacity in the leather sector, brought about by government initiatives, has contributed to improved pricing. “To stimulate the demand, the government has lifted the ban on the export of wet-blue leather,” he added. No mercy for corruption, says Home Adviser Bashir Uddin also called on the relevant authorities to ensure a more inclusive business environment. “We no longer wish to limit our trade to dependence on one or two countries. Our goal is to expand trade relations with India, Pakistan, China, Europe, and other global markets,” said the adviser. He urged the media to provide comprehensive coverage of the situation rather than focusing on isolated incidents or presenting partial narratives.

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Monday said the government has been working to dismantle the powerful syndicates formed over the past 15 years centring the leather industry. Speaking to journalists after inspecting preparations for managing sacrificial animal hides at the largest leather market in the southwest region at Rajarhat in Jashore, the Adviser emphasised the government’s commitment to protecting the interests of orphanages and madrasas involved in the leather trade. He said the country’s leather industry has suffered from extensive mismanagement and chaos over the past 15 years, leading to its significant decline. “Our efforts prioritise the welfare of madrasas and orphanages, while also focusing on the overall recovery and future of the leather sector. The government is taking nationwide action to break illegal syndicates and revive the industry,” Bashir said. 7.74 Lakh Qurbani rawhides preserved in Chattogram Division To ensure fair pricing and preservation of raw hides, the government has distributed 7.5 lakh maunds of salt across the country, the Adviser said, criticising seasonal traders for mishandling hides due to a lack of knowledge, which resulted in financial losses.  

Commerce Adviser SK Bashir Uddin has been assigned  the additional responsibility for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. A gazette notification in this regard was issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday. Bashiruddin has been serving as  the adviser to the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Textiles and Jute. Action taken against Meghna Alam in line with law: Khoda Bakhsh A F Hassan Ariff, who was given the charge of the Ministry of Land and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, died on December 20 last year. Following his death, the charge of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry was temporarily entrusted with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus. With the latest reassignment, Bashir Uddin will now oversee the ministry, reducing the number of ministries under the Chief Adviser to five.

Commerce Adviser SK Bashir Uddin on Tuesday said that rice prices are expected to become more affordable within the next two weeks as Boro rice arrives in the market. The adviser was speaking to journalists following a meeting held to review the overall situation regarding the import and supply of edible oil and other issues at the Secretariat. “Unfortunately, rice prices have remained high for quite some time. However,  Boro rice will arrive in the market within two weeks. The finer varieties of rice—particularly Najirshail and Miniket—are primarily produced during the boro season,” he said. He also mentioned that the weather conditions remained favourable this year, while the electricity supply was stable along with adequate fertiliser availability and all these have contributed positively to agricultural production. Soybean oil prices go up ".....we expect a good harvest of paddy this year, which will hopefully lead to more affordable rice prices," he said. Noting that agro-products are inherently dynamic, Bashir said. "We are closely monitoring all essential commodities and taking necessary measures where price stabilisation is needed." When asked whether a visiting delegation from US President Donald Trump would discuss trade relations with Bangladesh, the adviser said, "That will be the only issue of significance."

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Thursday said India's sudden cancellation of trans-shipment facilities will not cause any problem as the government will try to overcome the situation on its own. “These (trans-shipment) facilities have been cancelled abruptly. I held a meeting with all relevant stakeholders yesterday. We do not feel this will create any major issue. We are taking all necessary steps to ensure that our own capacity and competitiveness are not hampered and that our exports continue without any logistical disruptions,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat. Regarding the measures taken following the cancellation, the adviser said, “I won’t share those with you at this moment. We are working to address structural and cost-related challenges to enhance our competitiveness. I don’t see any reason for concern here.” Transshipment Facility: Four Bangladeshi trucks sent back from Benapole Port Asked whether Bangladesh plans to send a formal letter to India regarding the cancellation, the adviser said, “We are not considering that at the moment.” Responding to a question over the volume of exports that used India’s trans-shipment facilities, Bashir said, “Around 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes of goods used to be exported through Indian ports, particularly Delhi and Kolkata. These were primarily destined for European countries. We hope to quickly resolve this issue by strengthening our own capacity, InshaAllah.” India stops transshipment facility for Bangladesh’s export cargo India on Tuesday abruptly cancelled the facility allowing Bangladeshi goods to be shipped to third countries using Indian territories under the trans-shipment arrangement.

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Sunday announced that Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling essential commodities through trucks in all 64 districts from Wednesday to ensure benefits for low-income groups. The initiative, which is already active in six districts, will now be expanded to an additional 56 districts. The announcement was made during a virtual meeting with deputy commissioners (DCs), where discussions focused on the sale of TCIB products through smart cards. Bashir Uddin emphasised the government's commitment to reaching one crore marginalised people through TCIB's subsidised goods. He urged DCs to play a vital role in selecting the actual beneficiaries, and instructed them to ensure the distribution of smart cards to all eligible recipients by March 17. Officers from 25 cadres observe work abstention Addressing the Deputy Commissioners, the adviser stated that 57 lakh beneficiaries, including  those awaiting smart card issuance but already listed, would receive goods through the system. The virtual meeting was attended by Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, Additional Secretary (Exports) Md Abdur Rahim Khan, TCB Chairman Brigadier General Mohammad Faisal Azad, and divisional commissioners along with district commissioners from all 64 districts.