State-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will procure 2.25 crore (22.5 million) litres of soybean oil and 15,000 metric tonnes of lentils from local private firms through direct procurement method (DPM) for its open market sale (OMS) programme  . Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved a number of separate proposals placed by the Commerce Ministry in this regard as the TCB, the state marketing agency under the ministry, will buy the commodities under different lots. Read:TIB’s report on TCB products not based on proper information: Commerce Minister As per the proposals, some 30,00,000 litres of soybean oil will be procured from Basundhara Multi Food Products Ltd at a cost of Tk 54.90 crore while 55,00,000 litres from City Edible Oil Ltd at Tk 101.75 crore, 85,00,000 litres from Meghna Edible Oil Refinery Limited at 156.63 crore, and 55,00,00 litres from Super Oil Refinery Ltd at a cost of Tk 101.75 crore. Each litre of soybean oil will cost between Tk 183 and Tk 185. All the quantities of soybean oil will be procured through direct procurement method sidelining the open tender procedure.  The TCB will procure 5,000 mts  of lentil each from Blue Sky Enterprises Dhaka, Masud & Brothers of Chattogram Masud & Brothers, Chattogram and Ruby Food Products Ltd., of Chattogram Each kg of lentil will cost Tk 110, the same price from all firms, while the entire 15,000 mts will cost Tk 165 crore.   The Cabinet body also approved two separate proposals of the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) under the Agriculture Ministry to procure a total of 90,000 metric tons of fertilizer. Read: TCB to procure 125 lakh litres soybean oil, 5000 kg lentil from 7 local suppliers Of the bulk agro-inputs, some 50,000 MT of Muriate of potash (MOP) fertiliser will be imported from Canadian Commercial Corporation at a cost of Tk 386.19 crore with each metric ton costing $812.62 while previous price was $914.    Some 40,000 mt of DAP fertilizer will be imported by BADC from OCP, SA of Morocco at cost of Tk 296.93 crore with each metric ton costing $781 against an earlier price of $914. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at a meeting approved in principle two separate proposals on rice import. As per a proposal, the Directorate General of Food will import 400,000 metric tons of rice through direct purchase method (DMP) from rice exporting countries. Under another proposal, the Directorate General of Food was allowed to curtail the 42 days obligation to 15 days for submission of tender proposal by suppliers to procure rice from the international market to facilitate emergency import of rice. 

The government will start open market sale (OMS) of rice at Tk 15 per kg from September 1 for 4 crore people of  50 lakh families across the country, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday. "This programme will run simultaneously in district towns, municipalities and city areas under the Food Friendly Program of the government," he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat. Read: Food Minister urges people to check food waste The Minister hoped that the price of rice in the market will come under control through this programme. Consumers will get 30 kg of rice per month at Tk 15 per kg, he added. He said, 'We have 2,013 dealers, each dealer will get two metric tonnes of rice per day. The consumers can purchase 30 kgs of rice under the Food Friendly Programme at a price of Tk 15 per kg while anyone can purchase the OMS rice and one person can buy 5 kg, said the minister. Besides, the authorities concerned will keep monitoring the programmes and a decision was taken to strengthen the monitoring system. He also hinted of rice imports. Replying to a question about any impact on production cost following price hike of fuel, Sadhan said “It is a world issue now and it should be better if we can keep the price of rice stable.” The minister also blamed some unscrupulous businesspeople for the soaring price of rice. “We have asked the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection to come to the field as five monitoring committees have been formed,” he said. The deputy commissioners concerned have been ordered to monitor the market price and conducted drive against illegal hoarders.

The government will start Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice and wheat at Tk 30 and Tk 18 per kg respectively from Thursday in all upazilas across the country, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Wednesday. The Food Minister came up with the information while talking to reporters at the DCs’ conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium. Read: Less is more when it comes to rice prices in Bangladesh “The OMS programme remains open round the year though it was launched in 730 shops on a limited scale. Now the OMS service will be launched in upazilas through 1,760 dealers from tomorrow,” he said. A food-friendly programme is there at the union level and rice is also available there at Tk 10 per Kg. So, the programme will not be launched at the union level but it will continue in the upazilas, he added. 

Police arrested a rice dealer with 171 sacks of rice meant for open market sale (OMS) at Tk 10 kg from Satpukuria of Singra upazila on Wednesday.   The arrestee is Md Asaduzzaman.   Nur-e-Alam, officer-in-charge of Singra Police Station, said they raided Asaduzzaman’s warehouse acting on a tip-off and seized the rice.   Later, they arrested him.