The government has started selling subsidized rice at Tk10 per kg in the capital.
The Food Ministry's special open market sale (OMS) operation started from Sunday at the Mohakhali's Saat Tola slum and Shialbari slum at Mirpur's Rupnagar.
Under the OMS operation, each of two trucks at the slums sold three tons of rice. Each consumer was able to buy up to five kg of rice, according to a previous notification by the ministry.
Late last month, the ministry decided to sell subsidized rice in a bid to help the poor in Dhaka city amid the shutdown during the coronavirus outbreak.
Officials said they expect to expand the operations to 24 locations in the capital by next week.
"It has started today [Sunday] as a pilot. We have sold rice to around 600 families at two locations and the coverage will be expanded next week," said Utpal Kumar Saha, chief controller of Dhaka Rationing Office.
"The open market sale of rice will be operated three times a week starting from Tuesday. OMS trucks will sell rice at Tk10 per kg on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays," he added.
According to the official, some 39,180 families live in the 73 slums across the Dhaka city and the government aims to sell 72 tons of rice each day, which will stand at 216 tons per week.
The government has enough rice stock, good enough to last for more than two months, Saha said before adding the OMS operation will continue until the shutdown ends.
According to the Food Ministry, the government currently now has around 13 lakh tons of rice in stock and the new harvest is expected in May.
