Amid a widening onion crisis causing prices to reach record levels, Bangladesh has imported the kitchen essential by air freight.
An 82-tonne consignment of the vegetable from Pakistan arrived capital Dhaka on Wednesday, officials said.
"A cargo plane of Silkway West Airlines, carrying 82 tons of onion, has arrived. One Saad International imported the consignment," Customs Assistant Commissioner Sazzad Hossain said.
Prices in Bangladesh skyrocketed after India banned exports to conserve its own stocks after they were hit first by drought and then by heavy monsoon rains.
The essential commodity, which usually costs Tk30 per kilogram, soared to up to Tk260 after India's export ban was imposed.
Earlier in the day, the civil aviation and tourism ministry decided that the Biman Bangladesh Airlines will waive its cargo handling charge for any airlines that will import onion.
“Biman charges Taka 18 per kg for perishable goods, imported by any airlines, for its cargo handling services. We have decided to waive the charge in case of onion import for public interest,” Biman’s Managing Director and CEO Md Mokabbir Hossain told BSS.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by civil aviation and tourism secretary M Mohibul Haque held at the ministry at secretariat.
A ministry press release said here that the waiving of cargo charge will be enforced from today and will continue as long as onions are imported through air cargo.
The ministry will provide all out support to the onion importers in this regard to keep the onion price stable in the market, said the release.
On Tuesday, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said the government decided to import 50,000 metric tons of onion by cargo planes to contain price hike of the essential cooking ingredient.
