The dealers alleged that they didn’t get adequate supply of sugar from the state-owned mills during the past two months despite having stock.
Supply became halted temporarily since October 30 as per the government’s earlier announcement.
According to them, a stock of 16,864 tonne of sugar was sold to a Chittagong-based trader in the name of open-market sale.
Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industry Corporation (BSFIC) is the authority to supply sugar to the dealers from the state-owned 17 sugar mills.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua however refused the allegation and claimed that the supply was available till the date of postponement on October 30.
He said: “If we find any irregularity with the sugar supply, we must take action.”
There are a number of 4,000 sugar dealers in the country. BSFIC sources said a high official in the industries ministry was involved in the alleged irregularity.
Earlier, the BSFIC extended supply period till October 31 after the end of another period of May-June.
Bangladesh Sugar Dealers Association president Mostafizur Rahman Babul blamed Industries Minister Dilip Barua for “the sale of sugar to a trader” instead of supplying to the dealers. “Because of the minister, 4,000 dealers were deprived of supply,” he said.
According to Mostafizur Rahman, dealers got only 630 tonne of sugar during the last couple of days while 16,864 tonne “vanished from stock.”
He said: “Dilip Barua never listen to us. We demand fixing sugar price at Tk55 per kg in 2011, but he set it at Tk60.”
Official sources said the state-run mills can supply around 120,000 tonnes sugar against an annual demand of nearly 1.3m tonnes.
