Relief at the cost of dignity

The sight of long queues trailing behind trucks that sell essential commodities at subsidised prices has become a common sight on streets of Dhaka and other major cities. These trucks, operated by the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), serve as a lifeline for low-income families struggling to afford staples amid the escalating market prices. They sell goods like rice, lentils, oil, sugar, and onions at lower-than-market prices. The initiative certainly offers some relief to the people it aims to help, but the support comes at a very high cost. No, it is not monetary, rather it is measured by dignity and emotional and physical strain that the authorities care little about.
The TCB truck sale points show a stark picture of desperation every day. All the people seeking to buy the commodities do not succeed; many have to return home empty-handed as the quantity of the commodities selling at the points is inadequate and the distribution time is limited.
So people begin to gather hours before the trucks arrive, forming long queues that stretch across streets and alleys, often under scorching sun or rain, to ensure that they can buy the commodities before the supplies run out.
Those who are forced to queue for hours have every reason to feel that their right to dignity - one of the human rights - is stripped away. The queues crammed with exhausted faces inadvertently brands the buyers as 'needy,' laying bare their financial struggles for all to see. Women, who make up a large portion of these queues, face even greater challenges. But none in the authorities seem to understand that the act of queuing up for long hours before mostly unsympathetic and at times reproaching gaze of passers-by chips away at their dignity. The humiliation is compounded by the behaviour of a section of employees selling the goods, who sometimes treat buyers like beggars.
The TCB's approach to distributing goods at subsidised rates highlights a critical gap between intention and results. Though the initiative addresses a pressing need, it exposes systemic inequalities. Now time has come for a major shift in the approach of the authorities to preserve the esteem of low-income buyers and ensure the effectiveness of the corporation's efforts. They should expand the open sale initiative by deploying more trucks and setting up more distribution points in populated areas, and partnering with local stores or cooperatives. Such expansion will ease the pressure on each selling point, reducing the length of queues and waiting times.
The authorities can also introduce a token-based system which will help eliminate the need for long physical queues. Buyers could collect tokens in advance, with a designated time slot for collecting their goods. This approach would prevent overcrowding and ensure an orderly distribution process.
They can engage local entities, non-government organisations, community leaders, etc to identify the deserving families and distribute the good among them more effectively. They can also explore the possibility of utilising technology to streamline the process. Now almost every household subscribes to mobile phone services, which can be used for SMS-based communication with buyers on truck schedules. Such a system will also make it easier to assess demand and plan supplies effectively.
The current economic challenges, induced by global inflation and supply chain disruptions, have left many households with dwindling purchasing power. In a situation like this, the TCB's truck-based distribution system to help the low-income with a cushion for the economic blow is a commendable attempt, but the mental and physical stresses they are compelled to go through to secure purchase of goods, raise a serious question about the success of the programme. The target consumers will fully enjoy the benefit of the initiative should the authorities take it into consideration and adjust the delivery system accordingly.

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