STAR BUSINESS REPORT

The contribution of services and import-dependent items to Bangladesh’s headline inflation increased slightly in March 2025, while the influence of non-perishable goods and domestically sourced items declined, according to a Bangladesh Bank report titled “Inflation Dynamics in Bangladesh: January–March 2025”.

In March, the contribution of perishable goods to headline inflation held steady at 33 percent — the same as in December 2024. However, the contribution of non-perishable goods dipped to 40 percent from 43 percent, while that of services edged up to 27 percent from 24 percent during the same period.

The central bank attributed the change partly to shifts in import dependence. The contribution of import-concentrated items rose to 21 percent in March from 16 percent last December. In contrast, domestic items saw their share fall to 78 percent from 84 percent.

The report also highlighted trends in retail and wholesale prices, saying that prices of most selected commodities remained stable or declined during the January–March quarter, except for Sonali chicken.

While Sonali chicken saw a drop in price and margin — which reflects the difference between retail and wholesale prices — in February, both rebounded in March. The margins for lentils, onions,