TCB sales in some districts miss Mar 15 launch

The countrywide launch of the month-long selling programme of daily essentials at subsidised prices by the Trading Corporation Bangladesh (TCB) ahead of the upcoming holy Ramadan has been postponed in several districts.

The TCB programme that was supposed to start on March 15 has now been scheduled to start on March 20 owing to procedural issues in some districts and ministerial directives in others.

Earlier in the month, TCB had fixed March 15 as the start date for the sale of subsidized products at all metropolitan, district, upazila and union levels except the capital.

Now, except in a few districts, such as Narayanganj, where the program will begin on March 16-17, TCB will begin selling subsidised daily essentials in many districts on March 20.

In this regard, TCB officials said on Saturday that the products have already been delivered to 95 per cent of the districts as per the demand.

Speaking on the matter, Humayun Kabir, TCB spokesperson, said: “We’ve been prepping for March 15th to launch the program. Meanwhile, the supply of commodities in accordance with the demands of the districts is nearing completion. According to our estimates, the products have reached 95 per cent of the districts.

“Now, it’s up to the deputy commissioners and the commerce ministry to decide the launch date for each district.”

Speaking to Business Post, Narayanganj’s Araihazar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rafiqul Islam, said the list for distribution of TCB cards and products was almost finished. “We will be able to distribute cards within a couple of days and launch the program on March 16.”

Contacted, Narsingdi Deputy Commissioner Abu Nayeem Mohammad Maruf Khan said: “We have received the TCB supplies and distributed most of the cards. We had prepared to start distribution from March 15 but the commerce ministry ordered us to begin from March 20.”

Earlier, the TCB Chairman Brigadier General M Ariful Hasan announced the countrywide selling programme aimed at distributing commodities at a subsidised rate among one crore lower-income families.

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 commodities will be ensured only for the enlisted people at the grassroots level across the country, the TCB official added.

Under the programme, people will be able to buy a fixed amount of sugar at the rate of Taka 55 per kg, lentils at Taka 65, soybean oil at Taka 110 per litre and onion at Taka 30 per kg.