Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) urged the government to sell locally grown onion and the sugar processed in the local sugar mills through the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
The Chittagong chapter of the consumer rights organization made the request on Thursday after issuing a media release jointly signed by CAB Central Committee Vice President SM Nazer Hossain, Chittagong Divisional Secretary Kazi Iqbal Bahar and Chittagong City President Jesmine Sultana Paru.
Imported sugar and onion are sold in the open market through the state-owned TCB. That’s why it puts pressure on the two imported items. The onion wholesalers and commission agents do not want to sell locally grown onion as they cannot manipulate the prices.
Consequently, the local onion farmers are deprived of fair prices and incur losses. The locally grown onion market will expand; the farmers will get fair prices and feel encouraged to cultivate onion if the local onion is sold through the TCB. Above all, the dependence on import for the essential cooking item will reduce to a great extent, the CAB leaders said.
According to media reports, the workers cannot get their salary as a huge quantity of sugar processed in the local sugar mills remain unsold. The sugar mills are failing to pay the sugarcane farmers. A huge amount of foreign currency is lost due to the import of sugar. Moreover, imported unrefined and white sugar is injurious to human health. The local sugar mills will turn into profit-makers and the people will get healthy sugar if locally processed sugar is sold through the TCB, the CAB leaders added.