Who will get TCB cards and what will be required

The government has newly determined who will be eligible to purchase goods from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) at affordable prices. Until now, the rule was that low-income people could purchase the products. The new guidelines now define who will be considered low-income.

The guidelines state that extremely poor families, low-income individuals, landless people, agricultural workers, day labourers, tea workers, rice-mill workers, factory workers, and people unable to earn an income will be TCB cardholders.

In addition, widows, divorced women, abandoned wives, and financially disadvantaged elderly female-headed households will receive priority. Priority will also be given to disadvantaged families that have children or persons with disabilities.

However, more than one person from the same family cannot be a beneficiary. To obtain a card, the beneficiary will need their National Identity Card (NID), where applicable the NID of their husband or wife, and an active mobile number registered in their own name using their NID.

Mentioning these provisions, the Ministry of Commerce issued the “Guidelines for Selection of TCB Beneficiaries Throughout Bangladesh and Implementation of the Sale of Essential Goods at Subsidised/Affordable Prices—2026” on Tuesday.

The guidelines specify responsibilities for beneficiary selection, card distribution, the sale of products by dealers, record keeping, and monitoring at the field level.

The new guidelines state that selected beneficiaries must be permanent residents of the relevant city corporation, municipality, or union.

Previously, the rule stated that beneficiaries had to be permanent residents. Information about the selected families will be stored in a database through TCB’s service app.

The guidelines call for separate monitoring committees to be formed at the city corporation, district, upazila, municipality, and union levels. These committees will oversee beneficiary selection, creation of the database, card distribution, and the sale of products.

According to the guidelines, TCB cardholder beneficiary families will receive two liters of edible oil, two kilograms of lentils, one kilogram of sugar, and, subject to allocation from the Ministry of Food, five kilograms of rice per family.

The guidelines further state that the government may periodically redefine the number of products, quantities, and prices. During Ramadan and Eid-ul-Adha, the government may also sell TCB products at subsidised prices to the general public through mobile truck sales, in addition to the specified quantities.

According to TCB sources, there are currently 7.5 million cardholders. Recently, at a TCB event, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said that 5.9 million cards had already been cancelled over allegations of irregularities. These cards will be converted to a digital system and issued to genuine beneficiaries.

Monitoring from district to union

At the district level, the Deputy Commissioner will serve as the chair of the monitoring committee, while the members of Parliament from the respective district will serve as advisers.

The committee will also include the Superintendent of Police, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, mayor or administrator of the municipality, District Food Controller, Social Services Officer, Relief and Rehabilitation Officer, Women’s Affairs Officer, and relevant TCB officials.

At the upazila level, a committee will be formed comprising the member of Parliament, Upazila Parishad chairman, and Upazila Nirbahi Officer. There will also be teams at the union level, known as “Tag Teams.” These teams will inspect TCB dealers’ shops and sales points and monitor whether the products are being sold properly.

The guidelines state that dealers must display a consumer price list for TCB products in front of their shops. Cardholders must be informed of the date and time when products are received, their prices, and the number and quantity of products being distributed.

CCTV cameras to be installed at dealers’ shops

The guidelines further state that dealers must install CCTV cameras at their shops for security and transparency. They must also have arrangements for informing TCB officials about product-sales information in a manner accessible to the public.

New rules have also been introduced regarding the receipt of products from warehouses. In other words, TCB goods must be stored in TCB-owned or rented warehouses. The government will inspect these facilities as necessary.

TCB Deputy Director Shahadat Hossain told Prothom Alo that the new guidelines will further strengthen transparency and accountability in implementing the sale of essential goods at affordable prices.

During the 2026–27 fiscal year, TCB will sell 200,000 tonnes of edible oil, 220,000 tonnes of lentils, and 110,000 tonnes of sugar at affordable prices.

Currently, TCB is selling edible oil at Tk 100 per liter, lentils at Tk 60 per kilogram, and sugar at Tk 70 per kilogramme.

According to TCB sources, because the products were sold at affordable prices, the government had to provide Tk 27 billion in subsidies during the 2025–26 fiscal year. In the current fiscal year, TCB expects the subsidy to decrease to Tk 24 billion.