Strict lockdown enforced by the government to stem Covid-19 in the country has pushed the price of essential commodities up but the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) truck sales have brought some relief for low-income people.
Md Yousuf, a Sales Executive working in a private organization, was standing in a line before a selling truck of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) in Tejgaon area, to buy 2 kilograms of sugar at the rate of Tk 55 per KG.
“A kilogram of sugar costs Tk 70 to 75 in a grocery store while I can get it here for Tk 15 less. It’s such a relief for average consumers like us. We appreciate this initiative of TCB and want this to go on,” he told Bangladesh Post.
Alike Yousuf, several commodity consumers, irrespective of low earners or middle-class, have found it comforting to buy goods from these TCB selling trucks. They can buy the commodity goods from here at a much lower price comparing to the local kitchen market or grocery shops. Ms Rashida Khatun, a garment worker, supposedly a low earner, was too in a row before TCB truck to buy lentils and oil sold at Tk 55 per Kg and Tk 100 per liter respectively.
“Recently, the price of commodities, especially edible oil has gone up. But this TCB truck has brought the price of oil and lentils in the grasp of our hands,” Rashida told Bangladesh Post.
“People like us would suffer if these trucks were not made available. We want this TCB truck selling throughout the year, or the government should lower the prices for the benefit of marginal people,” she added. The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has launched sale trucks to supply goods to consumers at lower prices across the country from Monday.
Amid this harsh period of Covid-19 pandemic, the trucks will be active till July 29, excluding a few days of public holiday to be declared for Eid-Ul-Adha.
The products are being sold in 450 TCB mobile trucks across the country. Of them, 80 trucks, as a dealer points, become active in the capital while 20 trucks are active in Chattogram. These products will be sold through trucks in every metropolitan and district town as well.
“We gather a total of around 2500 kilogram of products every day on our truck including oil, sugar and lentil. We start selling from around 10 in the morning and don’t leave until all the goods are sold,” told TCB truck In-Charge of Tejgaon area Md Habib to Bangladesh Post.
“However, the quantity we bring every day is yet to meet the need of consumers. We have to allocate more,” he added.
A buyer can buy up to four kg of sugar. In addition, one can buy a maximum of two kg of lentils and two to five liters of soybean oil, known from the TCB selling point.
At present, 600-800 kg of sugar, 300-600 kg of lentil pulses and 600-1200 liters of soybean oil have been allotted to each truck of TCB every day. This allocation is likely to increase.
In this context, Humayun Kabir, joint director of TCB, said initiatives have been taken to provide products at lower prices during the Covid-19 period. Moreover, the allocation of dealers is being increased so that people can get more and more products.
According to TBC officials, each truck will be supplied with more oil, lentils and sugar than before, taking into account the number of general buyers.
However, it is not known at the moment about the upcoming product line.