C T Online Desk: The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will commence the sale of essential commodities, including rice, starting Sunday.
This move aims to help one crore cardholders purchase basic necessities such as soybean oil, lentil, sugar, and rice at discounted rates throughout July.
For the first time, TCB will include rice in its assortment of essential products, as per its latest press release.
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder and Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will inaugurate the sale at the TCB sales ground located behind the Polwel Convention Shopping Centre in Uttara on Sunday.
The cardholders will have access to soybean oil at Tk 100 per liter, lentils at Tk 60 per kg, sugar at Tk 70 per kg, and rice at Tk 30 per kg.
TCB also noted a price reduction for lentils from Tk 70 per kg to Tk 60 per kg. Each cardholder can purchase two liters of soybean oil for Tk 200, two kgs of lentils for Tk 120, one kg of sugar for Tk 70, and five kgs of rice for Tk 150 in July.
The current market prices for these essentials far exceed the TCB’s subsidized rates, with bottled soybean oil costing Tk 179 per liter, sugar at Tk 140 per kg, lentils ranging from Tk 100-110 per kg, and coarse rice selling at Tk 48-50 per kg across various markets in the country, including the capital.
TCB’s new initiative is seen as a welcome relief, especially for low-income individuals, providing them access to basic commodities at affordable prices.
The sales will be carried out at dealer shops and designated establishments, in collaboration with city corporations and district and upazila administrations, following their schedules.
Global commodity prices have surged following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, exacerbating the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Bangladesh’s importers are also grappling with a dollar crisis, impeding the import of essentials. In light of these challenges, the government has decided to sell low-cost products to one crore families, offering much-needed relief to the country’s impoverished and low-income populations.
