The price of onion has soared again to nearly Tk200 in Dhaka with the excuse of a supply shortage. 

Local onions sold for Tk160-180 per kilogram on Friday. Some retailers were charging Tk190 per kg for the cooking ingredient. Imported onions were being sold at Tk70 to Tk130 per kg.   

According to data by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, local onions cost Tk100-110 even a week ago, while the imported ones sold for Tk50-100 per kg.   

Local and imported onion prices rose 300 percent and 245 percent respectively, compared to the same period previous year. 

Traders blamed the spells of rain which deterred the farmers harvesting the bulb for the recent price hike.    

Karwan Bazar onion wholesaler Ashraful said supply from Pabna and Faridpur also shrank, jacking up the price.    

Sharif, a grocer in Eskaton, Dhaka was selling local onions at Tk160 per kg on Friday. He said the price was Tk100 even on Thursday. 

"The retail price spiked overnight as wholesalers raised the price," he claimed.

The latest hike has spread discontent among the customers as usual. Al Amin, a customer at Rampura kitchen market, said he did not know how long the onion price would keep buyers in distress.
"Sudden hike in prices certainly makes people suffer," he added.