The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling essential items across the country on Tuesday at a subsidized rate.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will formally inaugurate the operations of the programme.
Around one 10 million people across the country having cards would be able to buy such essential items in phases.
In this phase, the low-income group people would be able to buy at a time two liters of soybean oil at Tk110 per liter, two kgs of lentil at Tk65 per kg, one kg of sugar at Tk55 and two kg of onion at Tk20 per kg.
However, onion will be sold only in the city corporation areas and in those districts having regional offices of TCB.
Speaking to BSS, the Commerce ministry’s Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh said that the selling of TCB products across the country this time will continue till August 14.
He said that around 10 million people this time will be able to buy TCB products and hoped there will be no disruption.
TCB officials said the consumers would be able to buy TCB products from the selected distributors across the country, but selling of such products will not begin on the same date.
The TCB would start distributing the essential items after preparing the lists of the distributors with the support of the concerned city corporation, district and upazila administration.
The TCB officials said the corporation will not sell essential items this time through trucks rather from the shops of the distributors or from their designated places through family cards.
“TCB normally sells products covering almost 30-40 lakhs people, but this year we have started the programme with a target to reach at least one crore families at the grass route level,” said TCB Chairman Brigadier General M Ariful Hasan.
In Dhaka city, the TCB Chairman said the programme will be conducted through the two city corporations, adding that almost 1.25 million families in the capital will get the TCB products.
The products will be sold in every ward areas under two city corporations through dealers. “A particular family in the capital will get products for two times as huge floating people are living in the capital,” said the TCB top boss.
Apart from this, the country-wide selling programme including all metropolitan cities excluding the capital, districts, upazilas and union will start from Tuesday and it will continue till August14.
The TCB chief said the selling programme outside the capital will be operated under the supervision of the concerned deputy commissioners (DCs). The distribution of the commodity will be ensured only for the enlisted people at the grass route level across the country, the TCB official added.
