Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) started selling essential commodities across the country on Wednesday to keep the prices stable during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.
Some 58 designated dealers have posted trucks at different points of the capital on the day and selling sugar, edible oil and lentil, officials said.
However, the demand for the goods was seen poor due to poor presence of consumers amid the shutdown imposed by the government to prevent coronavirus spread in the country.
The TCB is also selling commodities in Chattogram with 16 trucks while 10 trucks have been posted in the divisional cities and four in the district towns.
A consumer could purchase four kilograms of sugar, two kgs of lentil and five litres of edible oil at a time at Tk 50 a kg, Tk 50 a kg and Tk 80 per litre respectively.
The state-owned trading arm will allocate 1,000-1,500 kgs of sugar, 200-300 kgs of lentil and 1,500-2,000 litres of edible oil to each of the dealers daily.
The TCB has already stocked a substantial amount of commodities in its warehouses to facilitate ensuring price stability and avert any possible disruption in supplies.
TCB spokesperson Md Humayun Kabir told the FE that the TCB will cancel the dealers' licences if found any corruption in selling the goods.
The sales spots in the city are: in front of the National Press Club, Bangladesh Secretariat, Bangladesh Bank, Nandipara Krishi Bank, Ittefaq intersection, Jatrabari, Santinagar kitchen market, Shajahanpur kitchen market, Malibagh kitchen market, Kilgaon Taltola, Motijheel AGB Colony, Mugda, National Museum, Meradia kitchen market, Bahadurshah (Victoria) Park, Karwan Bazar, Middle Badda, Satarkul, Sanirakhra, Sarulia Bazar, Shymoli intersection, Nam Garden, Gabtali/ Technical, Bangla College, Khamar Bari, Ananda Cinema Hall (Farmgate), Uttara Azampur, Uttara Abdullahpur, Rampura kitchen market, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-2/12 and Mirpur-13 Diganata Samobay Samity.
