There is none of the usual bustle at Karwan Bazar. The Eid holiday mood has yet to fade completely, leaving one of Dhaka’s busiest markets unusually quiet.
Amid the calm, Ali Ahmed, a construction worker, walks slowly through the market with a shopping list in hand. Long gone are the days when he could buy groceries for an entire month at once.
Living with his elderly parents, Ahmed says rising prices, irregular work and stagnant incomes have fundamentally changed the way he shops.
“When I worked on contract, even Tk20,000 a month was enough to manage somehow,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh. “Now that’s no longer possible. Expenses have risen sharply, but our income has not.”
Rice has become one of the biggest burdens on his household budget.
“Ordinary coarse rice now costs Tk60 per kilogram. If I buy better-quality rice for my parents, it costs nearly Tk85. I used to buy a sack at the beginning of the month. Now I have to buy small amounts whenever I can afford it,” he said.
Ahmed’s experience reflects a broader reality facing lower- and lower-middle-income households across the country.
Persistent inflation has reshaped spending habits, forcing families to abandon bulk purchases and rely on frequent, small-scale shopping trips that often increase overall costs.
Buying groceries on borrowed money
At Badda kitchen market, Rehana Islam stood with a shopping bag and only a few hundred taka in hand.
A domestic worker, she had yet to receive her salary despite the first week of the month being underway. Meanwhile, her household’s supply of rice and lentils had run out.
Unable to afford prepared food, she borrowed money from an acquaintance to buy groceries.
“People with good jobs receive Eid bonuses, but we don’t always get those benefits,” she said. “The meat we received during Eid-ul-Adha is already finished. Now I’m worried about what to cook at home.”
The family’s financial strain has deepened after her 17-year-old son, Ishaq Islam, lost regular work as a porter in Sadarghat, leaving Rehana as the sole breadwinner.
During her visit to the market, she spent Tk130 on bitter gourd and aubergine before buying rice.
Vegetables and rice alone cost nearly Tk200. With insufficient cash left, she abandoned plans to buy a one-litre bottle of soybean oil and instead purchased Tk100 worth of loose oil.
“A year ago, Tk400 could buy much more,” she said. “Now the same amount barely fills the bottom of a shopping bag.”
Markets remain quiet after Eid
Visits to Karwan Bazar, North Badda kitchen market, Merul Badda, Bou Bazar in East Rampura and Tejgaon Market on Friday found unusually low customer turnout.
Traders said many families have yet to return to Dhaka after spending Eid in their villages, resulting in sluggish sales.
Karwan Bazar vegetable seller Suman Sikder said most of the produce in his shop was purchased before Eid and that he had not brought in fresh stock from wholesale markets.
“I’m selling cucumbers and tomatoes at a loss,” he said. “Cucumbers were bought at Tk60 per kilogram, but I’m selling them for Tk40 to Tk50. Tomatoes are also selling for Tk40.”
A similar picture emerged in Badda.
“There are very few customers, and we have little fresh stock,” said trader Shimul. “We’re selling old inventory just to minimise losses.”
Broiler chicken was selling at Tk170 per kilogram in Karwan Bazar, while Sonali chicken reached Tk350. Pangas and tilapia were selling at Tk200 per kilogram, while rui, shing and mrigel ranged between Tk300 and Tk320.
The egg market offered some relief. Brown eggs were selling for Tk130 per dozen and white eggs for Tk120, down by Tk10-15 from prices recorded only days earlier.
Customer Ramim said he was surprised by the rise in chicken prices.
“Just a day after Eid, broiler chicken was selling for Tk150 per kilogram. Now it’s Tk170. At least egg prices have fallen a little,” he said.
Fish seller Yusuf said business had remained slow since reopening after Eid.
“Many people haven’t returned to Dhaka yet, and those who have are buying only what they need,” he said.
Counting every taka
Near the entrance to North Badda kitchen market, Suheli carefully calculated her expenses.
Her husband drives a rickshaw in Dhaka, but his daily income is unpredictable. Some days he earns enough; on others, he returns home with little or nothing after paying rental costs.
That day, her entire grocery budget was Tk160.
She bought Tk30 worth of vegetables, spending Tk10 each on beans, radish and tomatoes.
Each purchase amounted to just 100 to 200 grams. She then spent Tk100 on two kilograms of coarse rice, Tk10 on 100 grams of lentils and Tk20 on loose soybean oil.
While Tk160 may appear insignificant on paper, for families living on uncertain incomes, stretching that amount to cover three meals a day requires constant calculation and sacrifice.
Prices climb in Chattogram
While some vegetable prices softened in Dhaka due to weak demand, consumers in Chattogram faced a different reality.
Retail vegetable prices remained elevated across the port city, with traders blaming reduced supplies during the monsoon season.
Green chillies were selling for Tk120 per kilogram, tomatoes for Tk80, aubergines for Tk70-80 and okra for Tk50. Broiler chicken was selling for Tk160 per kilogram, while Sonali chicken fetched Tk330.
Traders said rainfall had disrupted production and transportation, reducing market supplies.
“Vegetable supplies have declined because of the rains,” said Md Sohel, a trader at Andarkilla vegetable market. “Demand remains steady, but adequate quantities are not available.”
Consumers say their incomes are failing to keep pace with rising costs.
“Everything is becoming more expensive, but our earnings are not increasing accordingly,” said Md Russell Mia, a resident of Jamalkhan. “Managing household expenses is becoming increasingly difficult.”
