The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has sought necessary support to carry out countrywide open market sales (OMS) of essential commodities through trucks during the ongoing lockdown and ahead of Ramadan, officials said.
In this connection, TCB Chairman Brigadier General Md Ariful Hassan sent letters to the chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, police commissioners and other agencies on April 04.
The letters were also forwarded to the commerce ministry.
The TCB chairman requested the law-enforcement agencies concerned to ensure the overall security while transporting the goods through TCB trucks and running the sales activities using the trucks.
Presently, TCB, a state-owned agency, is selling essential commodities at subsidised prices in different parts of the country.
Sugar, soybean oil, red lentils, onion, gram and date are being sold through 500 trucks across the country, according to the TCB.
The OMS programme of the government will continue across the country until May 06, said a press release issued by the TCB.
There are eight regional TCB offices - Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barisal, Moulvibazar and Mymensingh; besides, there are four camp offices.
The state agency works towards keeping prices of essential commodities stable and supplying them at affordable prices to consumers.
Meanwhile, the commerce ministry has taken some decisions including forming a central coordination and monitoring committee with the commerce minister as adviser with an eye to keeping the prices, supply and stock of essential items stable during the fasting month.
Besides, it has decided to form monitoring teams for the two Dhaka city corporations to operate the truck sales of TCB smoothly.
The decisions came at a recent meeting held at the ministry with its senior secretary in the chair.
The meeting has also agreed to set up a control cell in the ministry to redress grievances against price hike, hoarding of essentials and the syndicates during the month.
An official of the ministry said they would ensure an adequate supply of commodities and keep their prices stable during the month of Ramadan.
