Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Thursday said the trading corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will distribute rice and other essentials at reduced prices among 1.0 crore families during the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan. TCB has taken preparation for distributing essentials including rice, flour, dates, edible oil, sugar and pulse among the people of lower income group and those who suffered from financial shock due to Covid-19 pandemic, the minister said. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of Mutual Trust Bank’s air lounge at Syedpur Airport on Thursday. Also read: TCB truck comes as relief amid price hike The minister said, "We are trying to match with the international market so that people can buy daily necessities at low prices." The 1.0 crore families will be assisted through TCB and OMS during Ramadan, he said. “Our plan was to provide TCB’s benefits to 50 lakh families. But on the directive of the Prime Minister, it has increased to 1.0 crore families,” Munshi added. Also read: Edible oil price increased in line with manufacturers' proposal Nilphamari-4 MP Ahsan Adelur Rahman, Local Government Deputy Director Abdur Rahman, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mokhlesur Rahman, Nilphamari Municipal Mayor Dewan Kamal Ahmed and Mutual Trust Back Chairman Hedayatullah Rono, among other, were present at the function.

Pran Drinking Water has extended food support to the needy across the country for sehri and iftar in Ramadan. The food items included rice, dal, oil, sugar, lachcha semai and drinking water. Read Iftar Items, Recipes for Ramadan in Bangladesh Pran Drinking Water Senior Brand Manager Al Amin Shikder said: "Under the campaign 'Iftar Hok Shobar,' we distributed food items across different parts of the country including Dhaka, Jhenaidah, Dinajpur and Kurigram." Tonmoy Das, head of marketing at Pran Drinking Water, said: "As part of our corporate social responsibility, we stepped forward to help the needy in the holy month of Ramadan by allocating a portion of our profit from selling Pran Drinking water." Read Robi distributes Iftar among 25,000 underprivileged people

Auto-rickshaw drivers and light vehicle workers organised a human chain in front of the National Press Club on Thursday demanding food support and allowing their operation by ensuring health safety rules. Addressing a rally during the human chain organised by the Bangladesh Auto-Rickshaw Light Vehicle Transport Workers Federation (BALTWF), the leaders of the organisation said that their members could not work during the lockdown. President of the BALTWF Abul Hossain presided over the rally. "This restriction ultimately put us in big trouble as we have become unemployed and our families will have to go hungry during Ramadan," said Golam Faruk, secretary of the BALTWF. He noted that the organisation had already appealed to different government offices for direct food and cash aid so that their families could survive. But this time no charitable person or organisation is coming forward to help the starving people while government assistance has not yet reached us, the leader said.

Robi has distributed Iftar among over 25,000 underprivileged people as part of its ongoing Iftar donation campaign in the first 15 days of Ramadan.  The private mobile operator has taken the initiative in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Rangpur in collaboration with Bidyanando Foundation. Also read: Robi to stand beside underprivileged people during Ramada

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has started the distribution of Ramadan food packs among 15,300 poor families hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. With the support of Qatar Red Crescent Society, the food packages are being distributed among the poor depending on daily labour in the capital and several districts. Of them, 500 families are getting the food support in Dhaka city, while 1,000 families in Rajshahi city, 1,000 others in Rajshahi district, 500 families each in Narsingdi, Munshiganj and Narayanganj districts, as well as 10,300 families from displaced Rohingya living in Ukhia Camp-11 and local community in Ukhia of Cox’s Bazar. Also read: Local Red Crescent chapter receives 4 ambulances equipped against COVID-19 Besides, 1,000 other families are receiving  food assistance through the headquarters of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. The food packages are also being distributed maintaining the health hygiene rules amid the Covid-19 pandemic, said a press release on Sunday. Ultra-poor, helpless, disability and low-income families are given priority in the selection of beneficiaries for the food assistance. Also read: Covid-19: Red Crescent Society launches isolation, treatment centers in Cox's Bazar Date, pulse, soybean oil, sugar, salt, puffed rice, chira, chickpea, and vermicelli are included  in the food packs. Director of Disaster Response Division of the Society Mizanur Rahman said the distribution of Ramadan food packages is a part of the humanitarian assistance of the Red Crescent Society.     “The Ramadan food packages will be distributed among total 15,300 families,” he said. Also read: Red Crescent donates PPE to 4 Covid-19 dedicated hospitals Besides, under the initiative of Red Crescent Society, the distribution of cooked healthy food among extreme poor and low-income floating people continue in Dhaka, Chattogram, Habiganj, Barguna, Munshiganj and Sunamganj amid the Covid-19 lockdown. A total of 8,016 packets of cooked food were distributed among the poor from April 18 to April 22 last during the lockdown, said Mizanur Rahman. Moreover, the disbursement of food packages among 4,000 extreme poor and low-income people in both Amphan and Covid-19-affected four districts – Khulna, Satkira, Bagerhat and Pirojpur – continues under the initiative of the society with the support from HSBC bank. Read Covid-19 in Bangladesh: PM allocates Tk 10.50cr for affected poor