55 lakh families getting rice at Tk 15 per kg: Food Minister

The government is conducting a large-scale food assistance programme to ensure food security for the ultra-poor. Currently, under the food-friendly programme, 55 lakh families in 495 upazilas are being given 30 kg of rice per month at just Tk 15 per kg. A budget of 10 lakh metric tonnes of rice has been allocated for this sector in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Food Minister Md Abdul Bari disclosed this information in response to a written question from Nilphamari-3 MP Obaidullah Salafi during the 13th session of the National Parliament on Sunday, April 5. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed presided over the session.

The minister said the rice is distributed for six months a year—August to November, and March and April. As of March 19 of the current fiscal year, 79.25 per cent of the total allocation, amounting to 7.93 lakh metric tonnes of rice, has been distributed.

To meet the nutritional needs of the poor, fortified rice enriched with Vitamin A, B-1, B-12, B-9 (folic acid), iron and zinc is being distributed. A five-month programme to supply 3.7 lakh metric tonnes of fortified rice in 248 upazilas is currently underway.

Under the Open Market Sale (OMS) programme to control market prices, food grains are being sold at affordable prices through 1,091 centres in 12 city corporations, 14 labour-intensive districts and 52 district headquarters. Rice is being sold at Tk 30 per kg, open flour at Tk 24 per kg, and two-kg flour packets at Tk 55. Daily sales under OMS include 1,185 metric tonnes of rice and 1,432 metric tonnes of flour.

Additionally, under a special programme to curb rising rice prices, 406 metric tonnes of rice is being sold daily at Tk 30 per kg through 836 centres in 418 upazilas. The OMS sector has a budget of 3 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 5.25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat for the current fiscal year, of which about 70 per cent has already been implemented.

The Food Directorate is also supplying 33,833 metric tonnes of rice per month at Tk 30 per kg to 6,766,667 families under TCB's Family Card programme, as requested by the Ministry of Commerce.

The food minister said the current government is committed to continuing these activities to ensure food security for the ultra-poor and keep market prices affordable.