The three essentials are soyabean oil, pulse and sugar. And chickpea and dates will be sold starting 4-5 days prior to the start of the holy month, TCB information officer Humayun Kabir told UNB.
“Today, we started selling essentials across the country, including the capital, from 2pm or 3pm as first day, at lower prices compared to those at the retail markets,” Kabir said.
The TCB spokesperson said they will sell around 1500 metric tonnes of chickpea and 100 metric tonnes of dates this year in Ramadan.
According to a TCB notice, a customer can buy highest 4kg sugar at Tk 47 per kg rate and pulse at Tk 44 while Soyabean oil 5kg at Tk 85 per kg rate. Besides, a kg chickpea at Tk 60 and date Tk 135 can be bought from OMS truck. A customer can buy highest 4 kg chickpea and 1 kg dates.
Humayun Kabir further said, “We’ve the stock of oil and lentils two or three times more than that of the dealers’ demand. Hopefully customers will get products as per their requirement. The sale will continue till the last day of Ramadan.”
Under the Open Market Sale (OMS) initiative, the TCB usually distributes five essentials items- soybean oil, sugar, red lentils, grams and dates -during Ramadan in every year.
According to TCB, a total of 187 mobile OMS trucks would supply kitchen commodities every day except Friday. Of them, 35 trucks will be available in Dhaka, 10 in Chittagong, 5 in each of the other divisional cities, and 2 in each district town.
The OMS trucks in Dhaka will be located at these locations: Secretary Gate; National Press Club; Kaptan Bazar; Victoria Park/Sdarghat/Gandaria; Dilkusha; Dainik Bangla Intersection; Motijheel Govt Colony; Fakirapool Bazar and Ideal Zone; Bangladesh Bank Square; Jatrabari/Basabo; Shantinagar Bazar; Malibagh Bazar; Banashree Ideal School area; Khilgaon Taltola Bazar; Khamarbari-Farmgate area; Agargaon Taltola and Election Commission office area; Sawrapara bazar area /60 feet Bhanga mosque; Mirpur stadium area, Mirpur Bangla college/Gabtoli; Kachukhet; Dhaka cantonment; Rajanigandha Super Market area; Samoly square/Name garden; Mohammadpur Town Hall/Lalmatia; Jhigatola square/Dhanmondi Govt colony; Science Lab intersection;New Market; Chhapra Mosque in Palashi area; Ashkona Haji Camp; Rajlakkhi Complex in Uttara/Abdullah pur; Officers club and Eskaton Garden.