With Ramadan less than two months away, the prices of chickpeas, dried peas, dates, and soybean oil have increased in Dhaka and Chattogram.
The sale of these goods peaks in Ramadan, and since these are imported from overseas, the dollar shortage has resulted in a supply crunch, according to importers.
Some traders stockpiling the goods are also responsible for the supply shortage, they added.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, which collects data from 12 kitchen markets in the capital, the prices of 1kg sachets of refined flour rose by 3.57 percent, and unpacked refined flour by 8 percent since mid-December.
The price of moong dal has increased by 2 to 13 percent, depending on the variety, chickpeas and dried peas by 3 percent, and dates by 10 percent.
Last week, the Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association raised the price of soybean…