After Eid-ul-Azha, bottle gourd prices have sharply fallen in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi, with each gourd selling for only five taka at local roadside markets. Farmers report that before Eid, they sold each gourd for 35 to 40 taka, but within a few days the price dropped so low that production costs can no longer be recovered. Meanwhile, traders are buying directly from farmers at these low prices and reselling the gourds in other districts at nearly ten times the cost.

Field visits across several villages in Durgapur revealed abundant harvests, with traders loading gourds onto trucks bound for Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, and Chattogram. Farmers blame the post-Eid market slump and transport shortages, while traders cite driver holidays and increased delivery costs. The Rajshahi Department of Agricultural Extension confirmed that bottle gourd cultivation reached a record 666 hectares this season, up from 521 hectares last year.

Officials acknowledged that large price gaps between rural and urban markets often result from syndicate control, and they have reported the issue to the government for review.