The government has started a month-long essential selling programme in the capital on Sunday ahead of the upcoming holy Ramadan, aiming to distribute commodities at a subsidised rate among one crore lower-income families throughout the country.
Under the programme, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell onion, gram, dates, sugar, lentils and soyabean oil in the capital in two phases. The first phase began Sunday and will continue till March 24, while the second phase will start from March 27 and will continue till April 24.
"TCB normally sell products among 30-40 lakh people, but this year we have started the programme with the target to reach at least one crore families at the grassroots level," said TCB Chairman Brigadier General M Ariful Hasan.
In Dhaka city, the TCB Chairman said, the programme will be conducted by the two city corporations, and about 12.5 lakh families are expected to be benefitted from it.
The products will be sold in every ward area under two city corporations through dealers and 150 trucks.
"Each particular family in the capital will get the products twice, and it will include the homeless people living in the capital," said the TCB top boss.
Apart from this, the country-wide selling programme including all metropolitan cities, districts, upazilas and unions will start from March 15 and it will continue till before March 27.
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, soyabean oil at Taka 110 per litre and onion at Taka 30 per kg.
