TCB to sell essentials in 3 phases to check price spike in Ramadan

FE Report | Published: March 13, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The government has decided to build stocks of essentials including edible oil and sugar to keep prices of essentials stable in the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said Wednesday.
The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell the items in three phases -- 15 days before Ramadan, in the first week and in the middle of Ramadan, the minister said.
The TCB will also sell edible oil, sugar, lentil, and chickpea through 174 trucks one month ahead of Ramadan. Of these trucks, 25 will be in Dhaka, 10 in Chittagong, five each in other divisional cities and two each in districts, he added.
Besides, some 10 retails sales centers will be opened side by side for continuing activities of TCB. The step will enable common people especially low income groups to buy essentials at cheaper prices, commerce minister said.
The minister said TCB has taken steps to sell oil, sugar, pulses and gram through over its 3000 dealers in three phases to keep prices stable during Ramadan.
The commerce ministry has already had meetings with Chairman, and Directors of TCB to help keep prices and supply of these items stable throughout the holy month.
He was talking to the media after a meeting with the Chairman Brigadier General Sarwar Jahan Talukdar, ndc. psc, Director (Only for Board Member) Amitab Chacrabarti (Director General (WTO), Ministry of Commerce), Director (Only for Board Member), Mr. Monoj Kumar Roy (Additional Secretary (IIT), Ministry of Commerce were present in the meeting among others. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) in the city.
"We have taken the decision to make sure consumers face no artificial supply shortage and unnecessary price hike in the market during Ramadan," Mr Ahmed told reporters.
Responding to a question, the minister said there was no major accident happened in the country since the Rana plaza disaster.
Even the Accord and Alliance have realised that it is not possible to construct a building overnight, he said, adding the owners of factory will be able to set up fire alarm and fire door within three to six months.
Mr Ahmed said the government has already met 13 out of 16 conditions, set by the US while the rest of the conditions including a transparent database will be met by March 31.
"We'll be able to send a detailed report by April 15 next after meeting all the conditions to get the GSP facility restored. A review for restoration of the GSP in the US market could be held in June next," he told reporters.
The minister expressed the hope that if Washington did not consider the issue politically, Dhaka will regain the GSP facility, he said.