Supply disruptions linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East are set to make cooking for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr more expensive, as the prices of several key festive ingredients – particularly spices – have risen sharply.
The steepest increases have been seen in Iranian spices, widely used in traditional Eid dishes.
Alu Bokhara prices have nearly doubled, jumping about 80.8 per cent to Tk1,150–Tk1,200 per kg from around Tk650 just two weeks ago.
Pistachio prices have also surged, climbing from Tk2,700 to Tk3,800 per kg – a rise of about 40.7 per cent.
Saffron has followed the same trend, increasing from Tk180 per gram to Tk230, a jump of 27.8 per cent.
Meanwhile, raisins, locally known as kismish, have risen to Tk850 per kg from Tk700, marking a 21.4 per cent increase.
Rasel Hossain, a spice trader in the capital’s Karwan Bazar, said the supply chain for Iranian spices has been disrupted by the conflict.
“Since 2012, these spices from Iran used to reach Bangladesh via Afghanistan because of sanctions on Iran. Now the war has disrupted that route, which is why prices have shot up,” he told TIMES.
Another trader at the same market, Anowar Hawladar, said retailers have little control over the rising prices.
“We have no control over the prices. We have to buy at whatever rate the importers set, and that pushes our costs up as well. If the conflict continues, prices may rise further because we rely heavily on imports from Iran,” he said.
Many of these spices are essential ingredients in traditional Eid dishes such as semai, jorda and biryani.
Nazeen Aktar, a homemaker from Mohammadpur, said households are already feeling the pressure.
“Every Eid the prices of spices go up. We may not need large quantities for home cooking, but small increases across many spices eventually make the overall cost much higher,” she said.
Other spices have also become more expensive in recent days.
Cashew nuts rose to Tk1,380 per kg from Tk1,220, an increase of 13.1 per cent, while almonds climbed 11.3 per cent to Tk1,280.
Cinnamon edged up to Tk450 from Tk420, black pepper to Tk1,120 from Tk1,100, and cloves to Tk1,380 from Tk1,360.
Cardamom fell slightly to Tk4,400 from Tk4,500, while nutmeg rose to Tk850 and mace remained unchanged at Tk300.
The price increases have extended beyond spices to other Eid essentials.
Broiler chicken jumped from Tk160 to Tk225 per kg, a rise of 40.6 per cent, while Pakistani cock increased from Tk240 to Tk340, up 41.7 per cent.
Deshi chicken also became more expensive, climbing from Tk580–Tk600 per kg at the beginning of February to around Tk680.
Chinigura rice, commonly used to prepare pulao, tehari and biryani, rose to Tk146 per kg from Tk110 – an increase of 32.7 per cent – adding further pressure to the cost of festive meals.
