Prices of imported sweet oranges, known locally as malta, have fallen to Tk 350-400 per kg in Dhaka, down from nearly Tk 600 in the first week of October.
Importers blame the earlier spike on fewer ships arriving at Chittagong Port in September, but say supplies are improving as delayed shipments reach the country.
Serazul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association, told bdnews24.com: "Ships were late reaching the port last month. Fewer came at the start of this month too. And the gaps between the ones that did arrive were much bigger."
Around 30 containers of oranges are normally unloaded at Chittagong Port each day, but that number fell by half in September, he said.
"Ships used to come via Singapore, where they refuelled. Suddenly they began going from Singapore to Sri Lanka, and then to Bangladesh via India.
"This extra time created a big gap. The gap has narrowed as ships on the way keep arriving one after another. There is no problem with letters of credit. The supply chain will now be restored."
At Badamtali, Dhaka's biggest fruit wholesale market, oranges imported from South Korea are selling for Tk 4,100-4,400 per 15kg carton.
That works out to around Tk 273-293 per kg at wholesale, before labour, transport, financing costs and shop rent are factored in.
Rakib Hossain, a salesman at Sifat Enterprise in Badamtali, said: "I am selling a carton for Tk 4,300. There is a lot of fruit now. A few days ago it was Tk 7,000, and some weeks I sold it for Tk 7,500."
Abdul Latif, who buys from Badamtali, sells the fruit at Tk 400 per kg in Gulistan.
"We just buy and sell. If the wholesale market keeps prices high, there is nothing we can do. If prices fall there, we will cut ours too."
Junayed Munshi, a trader at Jatrabari intersection, also sells oranges at Tk 400 per kg.
"If someone buys more, say two kg, I sell at Tk 390 or even Tk 380. It depends on the customer."
Nijhum Sikder, a customer in Tikatuli, said a seller had asked Tk 390 per kg for larger oranges.
"It feels awkward to visit a patient without taking imported fruit. You have to take some imported fruit when you go to see someone."
Many fruit stalls operate around Dhaka Medical College Hospital alongside medicine shops.
Abul Hossain, who runs a stall on the footpath beside the hospital's new building, sells oranges at Tk 380 per kg.
Banker Hasibur Rahman bargained the price down to Tk 380 per kg in Motijheel on Wednesday while heading home.
He bought three kg and said: "I bought them for my younger son. He likes them, and they are fine for him if they are mildly sweet. There is fear of dengue everywhere, so you have to take extra care."
Mohammad Mohsin, a wholesaler at Badamtali, said prices in Bangladesh rarely return to their previous levels once they rise sharply.
Whether the cause is a syndicate or a genuine crisis, prices seldom return to their earlier levels, he said.
"There is a syndicate in the market. When they get a chance, they raise prices and hold back stock to push them up. Who will look into that? It is hard to keep raw material prices steady."
Bangladesh normally imports about 150,000 tonnes of oranges a year. The total duty on imports is 121.78 percent.
According to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh imported 157,286 tonnes of oranges in 2025, averaging 13,107 tonnes a month.
In the first nine months of this year, imports totalled 107,030 tonnes, or an average of 11,892 tonnes a month.