B Mirrror Report: With only a few days left before the holy month of Ramadan, trading activity at date markets in the capital has intensified, as buyers crowd stalls and bargain over prices ahead of the fasting month.

On Saturday afternoon, large crowds were seen at Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar kitchen market and at temporary stalls set up to sell dates, a staple item on Iftar tables. Following the extended break for the 13th parliamentary elections and referendum, many city residents who had travelled to their home districts have begun returning, contributing to the surge in market activity.

Vendors have displayed a wide range of dates of different varieties, sizes and flavours. While sellers claim that prices are similar to last year, many buyers argue that rates are higher.

Akash Rahman, a private sector employee shopping at Karwan Bazar, said he purchased one kilogram of good-quality dates for Tk 600 after bargaining down from Tk 700. “Since dates are essential during Ramadan, it would be better if prices were a bit lower,” he said.

According to traders, dates are currently selling at Tk 250 to Tk 1,800 per kilogram, depending on quality. Mabroom dates are priced at Tk 400-450 per kg, Dabbas at Tk 400, Sukkaru (normal quality) at Tk 250-300, Amber (medium quality) at Tk 700-1,600, Kamaranga at Tk 650, and Maryam at Tk 500-1,000. Premium varieties such as Medjool and Ajwa are selling for Tk 1,200-1,500 per kg.

Bangladesh relies entirely on imports to meet its demand for dates, with around 80 percent sourced from the Middle East and other Asian countries. Dates imported from Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are widely available in local markets. Traders report strong demand for Saudi varieties such as Medjool, Ajwa, Amber, Mabroom and Sukkari, while Maryam dates from Jordan, Iran and Egypt are also popular. Lower-priced varieties such as Zahidi and Dabbas, mainly imported from Iraq, are preferred by low-income consumers.

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), normal quality dates are priced between Tk 180 and Tk 550 per kg, unchanged from a week earlier. TCB data show that during the same period last year, prices ranged from Tk 260 to Tk 520 per kg, indicating a 6.41 percent decline year-on-year. However, retailers at Karwan Bazar are charging slightly above the TCB rates.

A vendor at the Allahr Dan Fal Bitan store said sales have risen sharply as Ramadan approaches. “After shops reopened following a few days of closure, many customers are coming to buy dates. The market is now quite busy,” he said.

At the nearby Bikrampur Fruit Market, shoppers were seen crowding the stalls. Ishaq Sarkar, a government employee, said prices remain somewhat high despite adequate supply. “Dates are imported, so prices tend to be higher. I hope increased market monitoring will help bring prices down gradually,” he said.

Meanwhile, a task force on commodity price monitoring met at the Ministry of Commerce on January 25 to review price movements over the past month and year. According to its report, domestic date prices declined by 2.67 percent in December, settling at Tk 180-550 per kg depending on quality.

Following the meeting, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said traders had assured the government that the supply of essential commodities would remain stable during Ramadan. “Prices will not increase; rather, some may decrease further. Essential items will remain within people’s budgets during Ramadan,” he said.