Long queues to buy essential commodities

Staff Reporter :
Low-income people across the country on Monday crowded to buy essential commodities at subsidised rate, as the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) launched its commodity sale programme among one crore families.
Long queues were also found behind TCB trucks, as price hike of essentials in Bangladesh has badly hit the poor and the middle-income group people.
The prices of almost all essential commodities have gone up significantly in the market, making it difficult for the common people to meet their daily needs.
The soaring prices of essentials forced many to avail the TCB card to buy the commodities at lower prices.
Meanwhile, the TCB”s commodity sale programme was formally launched at an event organised by TCB at Lalmatia in the capital on Monday.
Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, senior secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office inaugurated the sale programme while Tapan Kanti Ghosh, senior secretary to the Commerce Ministry was present.
AHM Shafiquzzaman, director general (Additional Secretary), Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection, Brigadier General Md. Ariful Hassan, chairman of TCB, Syed Hasan Nur Islam, councilor ward-32, Dhaka North City Corporation, Md. Rafiqul Islam, proprietor of Anu Enterprise, were,among others, present at the function.
The cardholder families will be able to buy one kg sugar at Tk 55, two kg lentils at Tk 65 per kg, two litres of soybean oil at Tk 110 a litre and two kg onions at Tk 20 per kg during the sales period.
Initially four items – lentil, sugar, soybean oil and onion -will be sold across the country including in the capital through the designated dealers of the TCB.
Prices of essentials went up following fuel price hike and rising import costs followed by appreciation of US dollar and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Besides, market syndication by traders was another reason for the high commodity prices in local market.