This time, the state-run dairy brand Milkvita has also raised the price of packed milk by Tk 10 per litre, raising concern among consumers ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
Their latest move came following an escalation in milk price by its private peers.
Milkvita, which was a cheaper option for consumers, started selling a litre of pasteurised milk at Tk 100 from March 21.
It now sells half-litre packs at Tk 50 each instead of Tk 45.
Earlier in November, private companies like Aarong, Aftab and Pran raised milk prices to Tk 100 from Tk 90 a litre.
When asked, Milkvita managing director Zahidul Islam said the cooperative last adjusted its milk prices in July 2022.
"Since 2022, our milk production cost has increased by Tk 13.5 per litre," he told the FE.
Mr Islam said the cooperative had been subsidising Tk 8.0 a litre for the past year.
To minimise losses, Milkvita submitted a price adjustment proposal to the Rural Development Division under the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry, which was subsequently approved last week.
According to Mr Islam, Milkvita currently supplies 0.14 million litres of milk per day, while private companies dominate the market.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) vice-president SM Nazer Hossain criticised the price hike, calling it a wrong decision ahead of Eid.
"It's a shock to thousands of consumers who relied on Milkvita as a cheaper option, especially as the private sector has become almost an oligarchy."
Mr Hossain called for the LGRD Ministry, Commerce Ministry, and the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry to intervene and reinstate the previous price for Eid.
According to the Department of Livestock Services, Bangladesh produces 9.9-million tonnes of milk annually against a demand for 15-million tonnes.
It imports 0.12-0.14 million tonnes of powdered milk to plug the gap.
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