TCB's drive to sale low-cost essential goods nationwide begins today

A nationwide programme to sell essential commodities at subsidised prices for low-income consumers through mobile truck sales operated by Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) began across the country today (May 11).

The special 10-day campaign begins Monday and will continue until May 21, according to a TCB notice issued on Sunday (May 10).

Under the programme, a total of 720 mobile trucks will operate daily across the country, selling edible oil, sugar and lentils at reduced prices. Of them, 50 trucks will serve Dhaka metropolitan and district areas, while 20 will operate in Chattogram. Another 15 trucks each will be deployed in the remaining divisional cities and surrounding districts, while every other district across the country will receive 10 truck-sale units.

TCB said each truck is expected to serve around 400 consumers daily. Nearly 28.80 lakh people are projected to benefit from the programme, with a sales target of 13,939 tonnes of products during the campaign period.

Consumers will be allowed to purchase up to two litres of edible oil, one kilogram of sugar and two kilograms of lentils from the trucks at fixed subsidized rates. Edible oil will be sold at Tk 130 per litre, sugar at Tk 80 per kg and lentils at Tk 70 per kg.

Alongside the open truck sale programme, TCB’s regular subsidized sales for low-income cardholder families will also continue under government directives.

The agency said around 34,848 tonnes of essential commodities will be distributed among 7.2 million TCB cardholder families in May ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Prices and allocations for cardholders will remain unchanged under the existing scheme.