English
বাংলা
The story
Sagar kola is the everyday dessert banana of Bangladesh, but in Narsingdi one old variety carries a grander name: Amritasagar, from amrit, nectar. Farmers there have grown it for generations on the high, reddish loam of upazilas such as Shibpur, Monohardi, Belabo, Palash and Raipura, and many believe that soil and the humid climate give it a flavour the same plant does not develop elsewhere. Local histories say Narsingdi bananas were a regular part of the table of the Nawabs of Dhaka, and older residents remember a time when trains on the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet lines carried separate compartments for bananas from the district.
The Narsingdi district administration pursued GI protection, and on 11 February 2024 the industries minister presented the certificates for "Narsingdi's Amritasagar banana", Tangail sari and Gopalganj's rosogolla at a cabinet meeting. The registration names the Amritasagar variety specifically, not every banana grown in the district.
The variety has been under pressure. Higher-yielding bananas such as BARI-1 and other commercial types give farmers more fruit per plant and suffer fewer losses, so in many villages they have replaced Amritasagar. Growers and local writers have warned that the original could become rare, and some hope the GI will help it earn a better price. For buyers, this means that a lot of "sagar" sold in markets is not Amritasagar at all.
How to spot the real Narsingdi Amritasagar banana
A ripe Amritasagar is medium-sized and evenly yellow, with a smooth, notably thin skin that peels easily. The flesh is soft, creamy and seedless, very sweet, and the fruit has a distinctive fragrance you notice as soon as you peel it. Small brown specks on the skin of a fully ripe banana are normal. Fruit that is bright yellow while the crown and stalk are still deep green, with firm, bland flesh and little smell, may have been forced to ripen; carbide ripening is banned, so be wary. Thick-skinned, large, mild bananas sold as "sagar" are usually a different commercial variety. Because the name is used loosely, ask the seller whether the bananas are Amritasagar from Narsingdi and which upazila they come from.
Buying tips
Bananas are harvested all year, so there is no single season to wait for, but supply and quality vary with weather. Bananas are sold by the hali (four), by the dozen or by the whole bunch, and price depends on the variety, the size of the fingers, how ripe they are and the distance they must travel. If you live far from Narsingdi, consider buying slightly green bananas and letting them ripen at home, since ripe ones bruise easily on the road.
On Midmart each shop handles its own sales: it sets its own delivery charge, and payment and shipping are agreed between you and the seller, never through Midmart, which does not take money or move parcels. Two shops in one order means two deliveries and two charges. Ask the seller when the bunch was cut, whether the bananas will be sent green or ripe, how they will be packed to avoid bruising and how many days the courier will take.
Keeping it fresh
Keep bananas at room temperature, out of direct sun and away from other fruit if you want them to ripen slowly. Hanging the bunch helps prevent bruising. Once ripe, they can go in the fridge for a day or two; the skin will darken but the flesh stays good. Overripe bananas are ideal for cakes, smoothies or freezing in slices.
Find Narsingdi Amritasagar banana on Midmart
Search Midmart for “sagar banana”
Shops from where it is made
No shop from Narsingdi is on Midmart yet.
Every shop on Midmart collects payment its own way and arranges its own delivery — Midmart never handles your money or your parcel. Delivery is charged per shop: order from three shops and you pay three delivery charges.
Estimate a delivery charge
