Bangladesh Gold Price Rises Tk 4,374 per Bhori: BAJUS Sets 22-Carat at Tk 234,038

Dhaka, August 8, 2026 — The Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) on Saturday raised the price of gold by Tk 4,374 per bhori, setting the price of 22-carat gold, including VAT, at Tk 234,038 per bhori — the latest in a year of extraordinary price volatility that has seen 100 adjustments so far in 2026.

💰 New Gold Prices (Effective August 8, 10:00 AM)

BAJUS announced the new rate in a notice issued on Saturday morning, saying it would take effect from 10:00 AM the same day. The trade body said the price adjustment was made in view of the rising price of pure gold in the local market. The revised prices across all carat categories are:

• 👑 22-carat gold: Tk 234,038 per bhori (up Tk 4,374)
• 👑 21-carat gold: Tk 223,541 per bhori
• 👑 18-carat gold: Tk 191,931 per bhori
• 👑 Traditional gold: Tk 156,822 per bhori

All prices are inclusive of VAT. BAJUS said the new prices will remain effective at all jewellery outlets across the country until further notice, though making charges will vary depending on the design of ornaments. Since VAT is already included in the selling price of gold and silver ornaments, it cannot be charged separately from customers, the notice added. Existing BAJUS rules on ornament exchange and purchase, excluding specified VAT, making charges and stone costs, will remain unchanged.

📊 The Price Reversal: From Cut to Hike in 24 Hours

The Tk 4,374 increase on Saturday represents a dramatic reversal from the previous day's adjustment. On the morning of August 7, BAJUS had cut the price of 22-carat gold by Tk 3,266 per bhori to Tk 229,664, including VAT. At that time, 21-carat gold was priced at Tk 219,342, 18-carat at Tk 188,374, and traditional gold at Tk 153,848 per bhori, effective from 10:00 AM that day.

The swing — a Tk 3,266 decrease on Friday followed by a Tk 4,374 increase on Saturday — reflects the extreme volatility in international gold prices driven by the Iran-Oman Hormuz negotiations and broader Middle East geopolitical uncertainty. When diplomatic progress appeared likely on Thursday (August 6), oil prices fell and gold dipped; when Iran moved to review a vessel ban bill on Thursday evening, prices rebounded sharply.

📈 100 Price Adjustments in 2026: A Year of Unprecedented Volatility

With Saturday's revision, the price of gold has been adjusted 100 times in the local market so far this year, with 49 increases, 50 decreases, and one VAT-related adjustment. This extraordinary frequency — averaging more than one adjustment per day — reflects the unprecedented volatility in international gold prices, driven by:

• 🌏 US-Iran conflict — ongoing since February 2026, with diplomatic whipsaws
• 🛢️ Oil price fluctuations — Hormuz supply disruption risk premium
• 💵 US dollar weakness — Fed rate expectations shifting with labor market data
• 📉 US jobs data — July's unexpected 23,000 job loss boosting gold safe-haven demand
• 🏛️ Geopolitical uncertainty — Iran vessel ban bill, Strait of Hormuz transit fee dispute

For context, spot gold hit a seven-week peak of $4,254.98 per ounce on August 6 — the highest level since June 18 — as Iran-Oman Hormuz diplomatic progress initially looked likely. The rally was the biggest daily gain since February, driven by optimism that a diplomatic breakthrough would keep oil prices low and reduce the need for central bank rate hikes.

💰 Silver Prices Remain Unchanged

While gold prices went up, the price of silver remained unchanged in the domestic market. Current silver prices, all inclusive of VAT:

• 🧩 22-carat silver: Tk 4,899 per bhori (unchanged)
• 🧩 21-carat silver: Tk 4,666 per bhori
• 🧩 18-carat silver: Tk 4,024 per bhori
• 🧩 Traditional silver: Tk 3,033 per bhori

Silver prices have been adjusted 61 times so far this year, with 31 increases and 30 decreases, according to BAJUS. The decision to hold silver prices steady while raising gold suggests that the local market views the current gold price spike as driven by international factors (safe-haven demand) rather than domestic demand fundamentals.

🌏 Implications for Bangladesh's Gold Policy 2026

The extreme price volatility lends urgency to the Bangladesh government's revised Gold Policy 2018 (Revised) 2026, which was drafted earlier this week and is currently open for stakeholder feedback until August 9. Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir has emphasised that formalising the gold trade — through proper documentation, chain-of-custody tracking, and reasonable duty structures — would reduce smuggling and increase government revenue.

The 100 price adjustments this year also highlight the growing sophistication of BAJUS's pricing mechanism — which now tracks international gold prices closely and adjusts local rates almost daily. This transparency, while creating short-term volatility for consumers, ensures that local prices remain aligned with international markets and reduces the arbitrage incentive for smuggled gold.

🏛️ Impact on Consumers and Jewellery Industry

For Bangladeshi consumers — for whom gold jewellery is both a cultural necessity (particularly for weddings) and a significant informal savings vehicle — the Tk 4,374 per bhori increase means that a typical wedding jewellery set has become several thousand taka more expensive overnight. The cumulative effect of 100 price adjustments in 2026 has been a significant increase in the cost of gold acquisition for households.

For the jewellery industry, the volatility creates both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, rising prices increase the nominal value of existing inventory, benefiting jewellers who hold stock. On the other hand, extreme volatility discourages consumer purchases — as buyers wait for prices to stabilise — and increases the risk of holding large inventories. The BAJUS pricing mechanism, with its near-daily adjustments, helps jewellers manage this risk by ensuring that retail prices track wholesale costs closely.

✅ What to Watch

Gold price direction in the coming days will depend on three factors: (i) whether Iran's parliament passes the vessel ban bill (which would escalate tensions and boost gold's safe-haven appeal); (ii) whether the US Federal Reserve adjusts rate expectations in response to the weak July jobs data; and (iii) whether the Iran-Oman Hormuz agreement can overcome the fee dispute and structural obstacles. For Bangladeshi gold buyers and the jewellery industry, the 100th price adjustment of 2026 is unlikely to be the last — volatility is the new normal in the gold market, and the BAJUS daily pricing mechanism will continue to track it closely.