Five-Liter Soybean Oil Bottles Vanish from Dhaka Markets Amid War Fears

Consumers, fearing a massive price hike and supply chain disruptions due to the instability in the Middle East and the upcoming month of Ramadan, have begun stockpiling essential goods. This surge in demand has made the popular five-liter containers nearly impossible to find in areas such as Sheowrapara, Mohammadpur, Badda, and Banasree.

Retailers report that supply from dealers has been drastically reduced over the past week. Many shopkeepers who previously received eight to ten cartons of oil daily are now receiving only two or three. While major producers like Meghna Group and City Group maintain that their production and overall supply remain normal, they acknowledge that panic buying and potential hoarding at the dealer level are creating an artificial crisis. Smaller companies are also reportedly struggling to open Letters of Credit (LCs) for imports, further tightening the market.

In the absence of bottled oil, the prices of loose soybean and palm oil have surged. At Karwan Bazar, open soybean oil prices rose by approximately BDT 5 per kilogram, reaching nearly BDT 200, while palm oil surpassed BDT 170. To combat this instability, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has deployed ten monitoring teams across the capital to conduct daily drives. The government has warned of strict legal action against traders found to be manipulating prices or creating artificial shortages during this period of regional uncertainty.