TCB starts selling 5 daily essentials ahead of Ramadan Dhaka, Mar 9 (UNB)- State-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh on Thursday started selling five daily essentials ahead of Ramadan. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi inaugurated the sale of five items- edible oil, sugar, dates, chickpeas and lentils- formally at a function at Tejgaon in the capital. These essential items will be sold in two phases at subsidized rates among 1 crore low-income families across the country on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. Addressing the inaugural event, the minister said the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working sincerely to alleviate the sufferings of the low-income people of the country. Every month, oil, pulse, sugar are being sold at subsidized prices to one crore families of the country. On the occasion of holy Ramadan, dates and chickpeas are being sold in Dhaka city, he said. The five products are sugar at Tk 60 per kg, lentils at Tk 70 per kg, soyabean oil at Tk 110 per kg, chickpea at Tk 50 per kg and dates at Tk 100 per kg (in Dhaka city alone). The second installment of the essentials will be sold early next month. The card holders can buy the five goods at subsidised rates from the TCB's specific sales points and dealers’ outlets. A card holder can buy 2 litre soybean oil, 2 kg lentil, sugar, chickpea and 1 kg date at a time.TCB Chairman Brig Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman was present on the occasion.

The Bangladesh government will soon fix the prices of nine essential commodities, including rice and wheat, to ease public sufferings, a senior Minister has said. "The Tariff Commission will determine the reasonable prices of these products in the next 15 days," Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi told reporters after a meeting at the ministry on Tuesday. Read: Government cuts fuel prices by Tk5 per litre These nine products are rice, wheat, flour, refined sugar, edible oil, lentils, onions, MS products (rods) and cement. Legal action will be taken against anyone found charging more than the fixed price, the Minister warned.  

BNP on Monday warned that the country is going to face an acute crisis due to shortage of food and soaring prices of daily essentials. “The entire nation is passing their days amid serious anxiety. Bangladesh will plunge into serious crisis,” said BNP senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office he also expressed concern that Bangladesh is moving towards ‘bankruptcy’. Also read:  Bangladesh on verge of collapse like Sri Lanka: Fakhrul “The situation in Bangladesh can be more critical than in Sri Lanka. The people of the country won’t even find peace by crying silently amid a dire economic situation,” the BNP leader said. He also said the condition of the people in the country is miserable as the prices of daily necessities are going up very quickly. “Wheat can’t be imported as the major countries have stopped its export. It will be impossible for ordinary people to buy flour after some days amid the abnormal rise in rice prices and the disappearance of soybean oil,” Rizvi said. He slammed the government for what he said its failure to stop the price hikes in daily essentials due to the foul play of business syndicates. Also read: Publish the list of Money launderers, BNP asks govt “Bangladesh is in a deep crisis of all kinds of food products. The paddy fields in a large area of Bangladesh have gone under water caused by onrush of water from the upstream and the damage of different dams, leaving farmers in a miserable situation,” the BNP leader observed.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Monday said the prices of daily essentials keep soaring without any reason for lack of monitoring of the market. “The vegetables that the farmers are selling at Tk5 per kg are being sold in the market at Tk 50-60 due to the middlemen and extortionists,” he said. Speaking at a discussion, GM Quader also said the extortionists are collecting tolls from goods-laden vehicles in a free style by opening offices in different areas. READ: Bangladesh politics not for good people any more: GM Quader The Jatiya Party chief said common people have become completely baffled due to the unusual hike in the prices of essential commodities. “But there’s no one to check it.” He said if the price of any product is increased by Tk 1 abroad, it is increased up to Tk 100 in Bangladesh. “Those who’re supposed to monitor the market, they’re indulging in corruption. So, there’s no solution to the problem.” READ: Identify reasons why police failed to control violence: GM Quader Jatiya Jubo Sanghati arranged the programme at Jatiya Party chairman’s Banani office, making the National Youth Day 2021. GM Quader said many mega projects are being implemented in the country, but there is no effective step for creating job opportunities for the unemployed youth of the country. He said the government must take pragmatic steps for creating employment opportunities for around 4.5 crore jobless people. “The employment of youths should be ensured in all mega projects in the days to come.” The Jatiya Party chief lamented that the government is hardly bothered about the suffering of jobless youths. “No one seems to care about jobs for youths.” Unable to find work in the country, he said many young people are going abroad in many ways risking their lives. “Young people are dying while crossing the sea in unauthorised dinghy boats. Youths lose their lives while going abroad through deserts or jungles. What can be a more tragic incident than this!” He said the government can take mega projects as those who stay abroad send most of their income home. “But the expatriates are harassed as soon as they land at the airport.

Amid the ongoing strict lockdown the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will continue selling daily essentials at subsidised price. The daily essentials would be available on dealer trucks from July 26 to Aug. 26 across the country, said a TCB press release Sunday. READ: Consumers showing little interest in Tk15 kg Turkish onion of TCB However, the trucks won't be available on public holidays. People could purchase edible soybean oil at Tk 100 per liter, lentils Tk 55 per kg and sugar Tk 55 per kg, the release also said. READ: Onion supply glut in Khulna puts TCB in dilemma

Voicing deep concerns over the growing price hike of daily essentials, BNP on Tuesday alleged that corrupt “government-backed” syndicates are controlling the kitchen markets to make quick buck through tricks.  “The prices of essentials are reduced during Ramadan in other Muslim countries. But in our country, the prices of goods go up during this time. Awami League-backed syndicates are controlling the market and raising the prices of goods through tricks,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he also bemoaned that the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), has also increased the prices of commodities ahead of Ramadan. “It’s regrettable as people usually depend on TCB to buy goods at fair prices. A syndicate is also there.” Also read: Soaring veggie prices sour festive spirit for city residents Fakhrul said the prices of essential commodities, including rice, soybean oil, sugar, and flour, have marked a sharp rise due to the government’s failure to monitor the market. As a sequel to widespread corruption during this government, he said the managements of kitchen markets have been held hostage to the corrupt business syndicates who are the “beneficiaries of the government”. He said it is the responsibility of the government to control the corrupt syndicates and keep the market stable. Also read: Govt has no roadmap to enforce full lockdown: BNP The BNP leader said there is no alternative to installing a pro-people government in the country removing the political stalemate to protect the human rights and interests of people. “This government is least bothered about people’s welfare since they’ve no accountability. Under the circumstances, everyone must take part in the movement to establish a democratic and pro-people government under the leadership of the BNP,” he observed. Fakhrul said the government provoked the Hefazat to engage in violence on the occasion of Independence Day as part of its move to climate the opposition.  Also read: Prices in kitchen markets on the up ahead of Ramadan The BNP alleged that police have long been arresting their party’s leaders and activists at different parts of the country in different cases. About the condition of their party chairperson Khaleda, Zia who tested positive for coronavirus, Fakhrul said she is doing well and receiving treatment from her personal physicians. He urged people to pray for the speedy recovery of their party chief.

The prices of most vegetables have doubled in the capital’s kitchen markets compared to a week ago due to supply crunch, according to consumers. At several kitchen markets in the city on Sunday, each kg broiler chicken was selling at Tk170-180 which was Tk150-160 a week ago. It was sold for Tk120-130 last month. Besides, the prices of different daily essential commodities including soybean and palm oil, chicken, flour and sugar keep on soaring in Dhaka’s kitchen markets ahead of the month of Ramadan. The consumers urged the government to take proper steps to control the prices at the kitchen markets in the holy month of Ramadan amid the COVID-19 crisis. Also read: Prices of daily essentials soar in kitchen markets Shariful Alam, a resident of Amulia, said he has to purchase most vegetables at double the prices compared to a week ago. “Today I bought a kg of aubergine and cucumber at Tk50 which was Tk25 respectively in the last week. Besides, I purchased a kg broiler at Tk170 which was Tk150 a week ago,” he also shared. A hali of lemon (four pieces) was selling at Tk40-60, each kg arum at Tk40-50, bitter gourd at Tk50-60, papaya at Tk40, bean at Tk40-60 and yardlong bean at Tk50, lady's finger at Tk60, calabash at Tk40-50, and patal (pointed gourd) at Tk50-60 in capital.