Highlights:

• Demand for fresh dates is increasing across Bangladesh
• Wholesalers sell around 100 cases daily
• Retailers source fresh dates from Khatunganj market
• Indian imports significantly reduced transport and import costs
• Fresh dates now cost Tk300–Tk350 per kilogram
• Fresh date season runs from late June to mid-August

"Demand is increasing in Habiganj. If sales remain good, I'll order more," he said.

Sajjad Hossain, a wholesaler at Khatunganj fruit market, said his shop alone sells around 100 cases of fresh dates daily.

"Retailers from different districts come here to buy the fruit. Demand will remain strong as long as supplies continue," he said.

Muhammad Touhidul Alam, general secretary of the Chattogram Fruit Traders' Association, said importing fresh dates through India has made the fruit more affordable.

"Previously, fresh dates were imported mainly by air from Egypt and Middle Eastern countries. Air freight and customs duties pushed import costs to more than Tk500 per kilogram. Now they enter through Indian land ports, significantly reducing transport costs. As a result, similar-quality dates are selling at Tk300 to Tk350 per kilogram, bringing them within the reach of many consumers," he told this newspaper.

He said the season began in the last week of June and usually continues until mid-August. The fruit enters Bangladesh through land ports, including Benapole, Sonamasjid, Burimari and Satkhira, before being transported to Chattogram and distributed across the country. As a strictly seasonal fruit, it disappears from the market once the harvest ends.