TCB Begins Ramadan Sales Today: 5 Essential Items at Subsidized Rates

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the state-run marketing agency, is launching its subsidized product sales program across the country today, Tuesday (February 17), ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

The agency announced the initiative in a press release issued on Monday (February 16).

Subsidized Price List
Under this program, consumers can purchase five essential commodities—edible oil, sugar, chickpeas, lentils, and dates—at prices significantly lower than the current market rates.

Item	Price
Edible Oil	Tk 115 per liter
Sugar	Tk 80 per kg
Lentils	Tk 70 per kg
Chickpeas (Gram)	Tk 60 per kg
Dates	Tk 160 per kg

Purchase Limits and Distribution
A consumer can purchase a maximum of two liters of oil, one kg of sugar, two kg of lentils, and one kg of chickpeas from the mobile trucks. Dates will also be available (1–2 kg) subject to supply and allocation.

Open Access: These mobile truck sales are open to the general public; no special cards are required.

Family Cardholders: The regular subsidy program for family cardholders will continue simultaneously. While oil, sugar, and lentil prices remain unchanged for them, they will also be able to purchase the two additional Ramadan items (chickpeas and dates) at the subsidized rates.

Nationwide Coverage
TCB will deploy a total of 450 mobile trucks daily across the country to reach low-income groups:

• Dhaka Metropolitan: 50 trucks
• Chattogram Metropolitan: 20 trucks
• Other Metropolitan Areas: 15 trucks each
• Remaining 55 Districts: 5 trucks each

Timeline and Impact
The sales drive will run for 20 days, from February 17 to March 12 (excluding Fridays and public holidays). TCB aims to serve approximately 400 people per truck daily, totaling around 3.5 million beneficiaries. Roughly 23,000 tons of products are expected to be sold during this period.