BDR-run retail outlets sell essentials worth Tk 200m

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Refayet Ullah Mirdha
The retail operation of essential commodities by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in the city received good response from the customers because of the price-difference. The items sold at BDR outlets costs more at normal markets.
Sector commander of BDR Sector Headquarters Peelkhana, Dhaka, Mojibul Hoque talking to the FE said strict monitoring and supervision in the BDR run shops has attracted large number of customers.
Hoque is in-charge of the BDR's marketing operation.
Hoque said essential goods worth at least Tk 200 million has so far been sold in the 100 BDR-run shops in the city.
"I think the escalation in prices of some essential commodities such as edible oil could be stopped due to market intervention by the BDR during the holy month of Ramadan," he said.
Currently, BDR is selling rice, lentil, edible oil, garlic, onion, coarse flour, dates, powdered milk and potato.
BDR has imported 500 tonnes of dates and 500 tonnes of powdered milk for selling during Ramadan, he said.
The BDR-run 100 retail outlets that started operation one week before Ramadan will continue their business until the government decides otherwise, Mojibul Hoque said.
He said BDR has already imported 90,000 tonnes of rice from India to sell at fair prices to the consumers and, if the government allows, they will import more rice.
He said BDR will import additional 300,000 tonnes of rice and 200,000 tonnes of wheat.
Talking on the unusual price hike of onion in the local market defying the government's all out measures, Hoque said the supply of this item in the BDR-run shop is irregular.
"I hope the supply of this item will be normal very soon and the prices will come down in the markets. A section of traders have been making brisk business by selling onion at higher prices in the month of Ramadan," Hoque said.
He said the BDR has some short, medium and long-term plans to help the prices of essential commodities decline.
Under one such scheme, BDR has already handed-over wholesale shops to the qualified bidders in the city's Uttara area.
BDR has been constructing some wholesale markets in the city which will be handed over to the qualified bidders to sell essential commodities at fair prices maintaining regular supply, he maintained.
Non-availability of proper statistics on demand, supply and consumption growth rates of essential commodities has been a major problem, he said.
But the picture of Bangladesh is totally different as there are no such information, he said adding that sometime the lack of such information hampers operation.