All newspapers owned by the members of the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) will see a price increase of at least Tk 2 per issue from July 25, the association said in a statement released yesterday.
The hike means that papers currently sold for Tk 10 will rise to Tk 12, while those priced at Tk 5 will go up to Tk 7. Noab highlighted that the newspaper industry has been grappling with a prolonged crisis, with revenues from both advertising and circulation falling sharply, a trend that deepened after the 2020 pandemic.
"The newspaper industry all over the world had been going through different crises. The revenue from both advertisement and circulation had been dropping. This crisis further deepened due to the pandemic in 2020," the statement read.
The association attributed the price rise to soaring production costs. "The cost of our publication has increased hugely. The price of newsprint, our primary raw material, went up in the middle of last year. The price has doubled in the last few months compared with the first half of last year. In addition, the exchange rate of the US dollar also increased. Printing costs have also surged because of the rise in prices of ink, plates and other necessary materials," it explained.
Transportation expenses have also climbed, further inflating overall costs. Noab noted that these cumulative pressures have forced the industry to adjust prices to remain financially viable.
The association also pointed out that, despite stimulus packages granted to other sectors, the newspaper industry has not received any government assistance, and corporate tax, import duties and other taxes, including VAT, remained unchanged in the current fiscal budget.
While most newspapers will see the increase, the statement clarified that The Daily Star will not raise its price, having already adjusted to Tk 15 on July 1.
The price hike is expected to affect readers across Bangladesh, potentially influencing circulation figures and the affordability of daily news.
Why it matters
Higher newspaper prices will increase the cost of information for Bangladeshi readers, potentially reducing circulation and affecting public access to news.