The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will commence the sale of essential products to low-income families nationwide at subsidized prices, exclusively through Smart Family Cards from Wednesday.
The Trade Advisor is set to inaugurate this sales program on Wednesday morning at Begunbari Deepikar More in Tejgaon. This information was disclosed in a press release issued on Tuesday by TCB.
As stated in the press release, under the guidance of the Ministry of Commerce, TCB has been distributing essential items, such as edible oil and pulses, to one crore low-income beneficiary cardholders. In January, TCB will make three key items—sugar, soybean oil, and lentils—available to these beneficiaries.
The sales operations are being conducted through designated dealers' shops and permanent establishments, with assistance from City Corporations and District-Upazila administrations.
The distribution follows a schedule determined by local authorities. Starting from January, TCB products will be available only to Smart Family Cardholders, and the previous conventional family cards will no longer be accepted.
Smart cardholders will be entitled to purchase a maximum of one kilogram of sugar at 70 taka, up to two kilograms of lentils at 60 taka per kilogram, and a maximum of two liters of bottled soybean oil at 100 taka per liter.
To implement this extensive campaign, TCB distributes an estimated 20,000 metric tons of lentils, 20 million liters of edible oil, and 10,000 metric tons of sugar each month.
During Ramadan, the distribution expands to include an additional 10,000 metric tons of chickpeas, 1,500 metric tons of dates, and imported onions and potatoes, as directed by the Ministry of Commerce.
TCB warehouses are operating continuously from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, including weekly closure days, to ensure the campaign runs smoothly and meets its objectives.
