As COVID-19 infections has begun to rise once again in Bangladesh, the prices of face masks has doubled in the wholesale market, driven by opportunistic traders seeking to cash in on its growing demand.
A visit to several wholesale mask shops in Babubazar, Dhaka, revealed that the resurgence in coronavirus cases has significantly increased the demand for masks, prompting crowds of retail traders to flock to the area in hopes of securing stock at reasonable prices.
Though they expected to find masks at low prices, they were met with quite the opposite — each box of surgical masks is now being sold at nearly double the previous rate.
Mithu, who runs a mask business near Shahjahanpur Railway Station, said until recently, he was buying boxes of surgical masks for Tk 60–65. “Today, those same masks are being sold at Tk 120 per box. The wholesalers are refusing to negotiate on prices,” he added.
At Malibagh intersection, another mask trader, Shah Ali, expressed similar concerns. “Previously, the wholesale price for a thousand surgical masks was Tk 900. Today, it has jumped to Tk 1,600. Due to the increased wholesale price, we’ve had to raise retail prices too. Where we used to sell five surgical masks for Tk 10, now we’re forced to sell only three for the same amount,” he said.
The price hike is not limited to surgical masks. N95 masks, which were previously sold for Tk 10 each, are now being priced between Tk 15 and Tk 20 per piece.
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This sudden surge in prices has triggered concerns among consumers, with many fearing that the situation could escalate further. Some recall the severe price hikes during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020.
Mohtasim, a resident of Moghbazar, said, “Back in 2020, we had to pay Tk 10–15 for a single surgical mask. The price of N95 masks, which were Tk 10, shot up to Tk 150. We must take immediate action to break this emerging mask syndicate.”
Subah Hossain, who came to Motijheel to buy cloth masks, shared her anxiety. “In the past, cloth masks were priced between Tk 20 and Tk 30. Now they’ve increased to Tk 50–80. It’s frightening — I’m worried the situation might turn into another 2020.”
As infections continue to rise, the health authorities have begun preparations. The COVID-specialised hospital in Mohakhali has already been made ready, with 13 patients currently admitted.
Besides, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has started distributing testing kits across various hospitals in the capital.
With both the infection rate and mask prices climbing, calls are growing louder for immediate regulatory intervention to ensure public safety and affordability.