Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin assured that preparations are in place to ensure a stable market during Ramadan and Eid, with daily commodity prices expected to remain low due to sufficient stockpiles of essential Ramadan products.
He made these remarks at a discussion meeting with local stakeholders on the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) activities in the conference room of the Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner's office on Monday afternoon.
“Our target is to bring relief to marginalized communities,” Sheikh Bashir Uddin said. “Efforts are underway to distribute TCB products at affordable prices to 100,000 people in Rajshahi. Nationwide, out of nearly 50 million people living below the poverty line, 10 million genuine poor individuals are being brought under this initiative.”
Acknowledging resource limitations, he added: “It is not possible to provide TCB cards to all underprivileged individuals. However, the administration will ensure TCB family cards are distributed transparently by selecting deserving beneficiaries down to the union level, in cooperation with local public representatives. Transparency and fairness in the selection process are essential to ensure that justice prevails.”
TCB Chairman Brigadier General Mustafa Iqbal emphasized ongoing efforts to issue smart family cards, preventing families from obtaining multiple cards.
“Out of the 10 million family cards, 570,000 have already been converted to smart cards,” he said. “If irregularities are detected in any card, they will be cancelled. Work is also progressing to convert the remaining 4.3 million cards.”
