Many return empty-handed on first day of govt's subsidised goods sale

Many low-income people were forced to return empty-handed yesterday, the inaugural day of the government's initiative to provide some essential goods at subsidised prices at 30 designated spots across Dhaka, as the number of buyers far exceeded the available supply.

Under the initiative, the government declared selling onions at Tk50 per kg, potatoes at Tk30, lentils at Tk60, and soybean oil at Tk100 per litre through the trucks of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).

With a daily supply of 300 customers per truck, around 9,000 people will be eligible to buy the products. Each customer will be eligible to purchase a maximum of 2 kg of onions, 2 kg of potatoes, 2 litres of soybean oil, and 2 kg of lentils per day.

The initiative aims to alleviate the burden of rising commodity prices, caused by a combination of internal and external factors, on low-income residents of the capital.

On Tuesday, the initiative encountered an overwhelming response on its debut, with a staggering number of low-income people forming long queues outside the designated sales points across Dhaka.

At Rampura Bazaar, a TCB truck started selling the products at 10 am. Within a mere two hours, the truck's entire stock was depleted. Despite repeated assurances from the vendors that the supplies had run out, a substantial crowd of low-income individuals remained undeterred, insisting on purchasing the products.

The situation escalated to the point where the truck's trunk had to be forcibly opened, only to further disappoint the eager crowd.

Fatima, a sixty-five-year-old woman with a bag in her hand, was repeatedly asking the sellers whether they would bring the goods tomorrow as well. However, the vendors, without addressing her concerns, promptly departed with the truck, leaving Fatima and many others disappointed.

"My husband is a rickshaw puller. But due to his age, he cannot work for long hours. That's why I came here to buy the products at a low price. But I got nothing today," she told The Business Standard.

Habib, one of the sellers of Rumpa Traders, the company that was authorised to sell products from the TCB truck in Rampura, said, "We distributed goods to an equivalent of 300 people. However, the actual number of buyers far exceeded our allocated supply."

The absence of onions and potatoes at this outlet further fueled the buyers' frustration.

Sharifa Begum, a disappointed buyer, said, "I came here specifically for onions and potatoes, but they have run out. Nonetheless, I managed to purchase oil and lentils."

TCB officials have attributed the absence of onions and potatoes at various sales points on Tuesday to logistical challenges in procuring the full range of products. They said this issue will be resolved within the next day or two.

Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh officially launched the initiative at Karwan Bazar, aiming to provide relief to the people amidst the escalating prices of essential goods.

In addition to distributing products through designated cards to one crore households across the country, TCB resumed this traditional sales method, allowing low-income people to purchase subsidised products without requiring a card.

The government's subsidised prices stand in stark contrast to the prevailing market rates. Local onions are currently priced at Tk130-140 per kg, while imported Indian onions fetch around Tk110. Similarly, potatoes are selling at Tk50-55 per kg, lentils at Tk120-150 per kg, and bottled soybean oil at a staggering Tk168-170 per litre.

"Both onions and sugar are imported from India, but our neighbouring country has almost halted exports of both commodities. We are nevertheless attempting to maintain regular imports. These factors have made it difficult for TCB to import goods," said Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh.

TCB Chairman Ariful Hasan said in addition to the 13 lakh family cardholders in Dhaka, this programme would bring an additional two lakh people under the subsidised price support scheme.

On the first day of its relaunched truck sale initiative, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) sold products at 30 spots in the two city corporations of the capital, including Khilgaon Railgate, Mugda, Malibagh Railgate, Shanir Akhra Bus Stand, Azampur Kacha Bazar (North), Motijheel Bak Chatwar, Fakirapool Bazar, Abdullahpur Mor, Bangladesh Medical College (Dhanmondi), Azimpur Chapra Mosque, Victoria Park area etc