Rising prices are not only reducing people’s ability to buy food but also changing the eating habits of low-income households.
Momota sells cooked meals from a roadside stall in Mollapara, Taltola. A plate of rice with beef costs Tk100, while rice with an egg costs Tk50.
She has noticed that many customers who used to buy the Tk100 beef-and-rice meal are now opting for the cheaper egg-and-rice option.
Alongside rising prices of essential goods, people are also struggling with falling incomes. A slowdown in business activity has pushed millions into this situation. From shopping malls to roadside stalls, traders say demand is declining, leaving them with lower earnings.
But household expenses cannot simply be avoided. Rising gas and electricity bills are adding to the pressure, forcing people to cut their food budgets as well. For a large section of the population, the struggle is no longer about eating nutritious food but simply having enough to fill their stomachs – a situation that carries long-term health risks.
A study “Addressing Malnutrition Through Reducing the Cost of a Healthy Diet in Bangladesh”, published in the journal Foods in 2025, found that nearly 43% of households in the country cannot afford a nutritious diet.
The study also found that people are consuming relatively less fruit, vegetables and nutritious foods from animal sources.
Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman, a professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Dhaka, told TIMES. “The prices of essential commodities are rising at a rate that low-income people’s earnings cannot keep pace with. This is reducing their purchasing power and limiting their ability to buy essential food. As a result, food insecurity is emerging, which can affect the nutrition and normal physical development of children and adolescents in particular.”
Warning that prolonged inadequate and unbalanced diets could hamper children’s normal growth and increase the risk of stunting, he said, “To address this situation, workers’ wages need to be increased, income-generating opportunities created for low-income people, and government food assistance strengthened for disadvantaged families.”
Md Atiqul Islam, a neonatologist and paediatrician at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, said, “Ensuring children’s nutrition requires attention to the nutritional needs of both mothers and children. Problems with breastfeeding can arise for various reasons, including inadequate nutrition in the mother. If breastfeeding is not carried out properly, a child may become more dependent on alternative foods.”
For Golam Mostafa of Hemayetpur in Savar, thinking about nutrition is a luxury his daily circumstances do not allow.
He has a light breakfast before setting out in the morning to sell jhuribhaja. He spends most of the day working or skips meals to save money. At night, he returns to his mess to eat.
His meals are far from generous. He can afford eggs only two or three days a month. Sometimes he buys small fish when they are available at a low price. On other days, he relies on mashed potatoes or inexpensive vegetables.
A broken leg prevents Mostafa from doing heavy work. His monthly income rarely exceeds Tk12,000. He has to meet his own expenses and send money to support his seven-member family, including his wife and children, in Faridpur. Their needs alone exceed Tk10,000. Over the past few years, he has accumulated debts of around Tk400,000.
This is the reality for many low-income workers. Rising prices make it increasingly difficult to balance household budgets. Much of their daily struggle goes into calculating what they can afford to eat and how much. They have little room to consider whether their meals meet their nutritional needs.
Abdul Haque, around 70, lives in a mess in the Kalshi area of Mirpur. His village home is in Faridpur. His monthly income rarely exceeds Tk15,000, and he pays Tk1,500 a month for a place in the mess. He eats at a roadside eatery. If he has an egg for one meal, he makes do with mashed potatoes or potato curry, puffed rice or bun bread for the other two. Such a diet does little to provide his body with the energy it needs.
Abdul Haque now has little more than memories of better days. He remembers buying a 2.5kg hilsa for Tk2 shortly after independence, when he was 18. It tasted wonderful, but he has not been able to afford one for many years and has almost forgotten its taste.
He also remembers that it has been nearly eight months since he last ate rohu.
“If I eat a good meal one day, I struggle financially for the next two days. That fear stops me from eating well,” he said.
Alamgir Hossain drives a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. His income has declined since battery-powered rickshaws entered the market. At the same time, rising electricity and gas prices have increased his expenses.
He lives in Mirpur with his wife and daughter. He used to be able to buy beef once a week. Now, he cannot afford it even once a month. The family tries to meet its protein needs by eating eggs at least twice a week.
Alamgir said, “I used to be able to save Tk4,000 to Tk5,000 a month after meeting household expenses. Now, there is no money left. Even though I take my vehicle out at 5am, some days I struggle to earn enough to cover the daily rental payment.”
