The government has started month-long essentials selling programme in Dhaka ahead of the upcoming holy Ramadan aiming to distribute commodities at subsidised rate among one 10 million lower-income families throughout the country.
Under the programme, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell onion, green peas, dates, sugar, lentils, and soyabean oil in the capital in two phases- first phase began on Sunday which will continue till March 24 and the second phase will start from March 27 and will continue till April 24.
"TCB normally sell products covering almost 3-4 million people, but this year we have started the programme with a target to reach at least 10 million families at the grassroots level," said TCB Chairman Brigadier General M Ariful Hasan.
In Dhaka city, the TCB Chairman said, the programme will be conducted by the two city corporations, and about 1.25 million families are expected to be benefitted from it.
The products will be sold in every ward areas under two city corporations through dealers and 150 trucks. "A particular family in the capital will get the products two times including the floating people living in the capital," said the TCB top boss.
Apart from this, the country-wide selling programme including all metropolitan cities, districts, upazilas and unions will start from March 15 and it will continue till before March 27.
TCB chief said the selling programme outside the capital will be operated under the supervision of the concerned deputy commissioners (DCs). The distribution of the commodities will be ensured only for the enlisted people at the grassroots level across the country, the TCB official added.
People will get certain amount of 2-kg sugar at the rate of Taka 55 per kg, lentils at Taka 65, soyabean oil at Taka 110, per liter and onion at Taka 30 per kg.