Politics

Dhaka Enforces Price Caps on Rice and Oil Starting August 2026

Dhaka households buying staples at markets in Mirpur and Old Dhaka will see enforced price limits on rice and cooking oil from August under the new legislation.

By Dhaka Policy Desk · Published July 8, 2026

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The Essential Commodities Price Stabilisation Bill 2026, passed by the Jatiya Sangsad on 5 July, requires the Ministry of Commerce to set quarterly price ceilings on rice, lentils and cooking oil sold in Dhaka wholesale markets, with direct application to retail stalls across the capital's 129 wards.

The measure arrives amid documented rises in import costs tracked in the 2025-26 national budget papers, where the government allocated 12,400 crore taka to food import subsidies, prompting the bill's requirement for monthly compliance checks by district administrations in Dhaka North and South City Corporations.

Effects on Monthly Household Spending

Residents purchasing from the Karwan Bazar or Mirpur Section 12 markets will encounter fixed maximum prices per kilogram for medium-grade rice at 68 taka and soybean oil at 145 taka per litre, figures drawn from the bill's schedule attached to the legislation text, replacing the current variable rates set by traders.

Policy analysts note that a typical four-person household in Banasree or Uttara using 25 kilograms of rice and four litres of oil each month would face a combined outlay capped at 2,280 taka, compared with the 2,650 taka average recorded in the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2025 household expenditure survey for Dhaka division.

Next Steps for Enforcement

The legislation states that designated inspectors from the Department of Agricultural Marketing will begin spot checks at 200 Dhaka retail points starting 1 August, with fines of up to 50,000 taka for violations to be deposited into a local relief fund administered by the Dhaka City Corporation.

Further quarterly price reviews are scheduled for October 2026, based on data submitted by the Bangladesh Bank on currency fluctuations and port arrival volumes at Chittagong, with updates published on the ministry website for public access.

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