Long queue of consumers but not sufficient goods on trucks

Housemaid Sima Akter came to Karwan Bazar around 11:30 am hearing about the TCB’s trucksale of rice, lentil, edible oil and potatoes in front of the TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) Bhaban at an affordable rate.

She could avail the products after waiting in the queue for nearly three hours.

While returning home, she told Prothom Alo, “Though I had to suffer, I could buy the products at a cheaper rate.”

However, many waiting in the queue for a long time were not so lucky like Sima Akter. They had to return empty handed as the number of consumers were higher than the amount of products that the truck was carrying.

This was not the picture of Karwan Bazar only, rather this was seen at Shahbagh, Notre Dame College in Motijheel and Bak Chattar in the capital Wednesday.

Many people returned empty handed as each of the trucks was carrying products only for 350 people. TCB sold the package of products at 50 spots in the capital Wednesday.

A consumer could buy two litres of soybean oil, two kgs mashur dal (lentil), five kg rice and three kgs of potatoes at a time. For the first time, TCB added potatoes in its truck sale Wednesday as the price of the product has recently soared.

TCB sells each litre of edible oil at Tk 100, each kg of mashur dal at Tk 60, rice at Tk 30, and potatoes at Tk 40. In all, a consumer needs to spend Tk 590 to buy the products while it would require Tk 1,050 to buy the products from the market.

Rickshaw pullers, housemaids, and day labourers constituted the largest number of people waiting in the queue along with lower rank employees of various government and private organisations for the TCB products.

A high inflation rate has been continuing in the country for over 18 months. The overall rate was 10.87 per cent in October, with the food inflation at 12.66 per cent.

A large number of people took part in the mass uprising against the government of Sheikh Hasina due to the unbearable inflation rate, said analysts.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) research director Khondaker Golam Moazzem thinks social safety nets, including TCB trucksale, should be widened in the cities including Dhaka.

He told Prothom Alo a high inflation has been continuing for more than 18 months. In this situation, TCB’s initiative to add potatoes in the list of products is commendable.

But this initiative needs to be widened as there is a deficit of products than the demand, he remarked.

Khondaker Golam Moazzem proposed keeping two trucks at each spot instead of one truck.

Asked, commerce secretary Selim Uddin told Prothom Alo, “We came to know this through news reports. We have been reviewing increasing the number of trucks and raising the amount of goods for more than 350 people in each truck. Hopefully, a decision will be made soon in this regard.”

Commerce adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said they have been working to ensure supply of goods until Ramadan. This initiative will ensure sufficient supply during the month of Ramadan, he hoped.

Bashir Uddin was speaking while inaugurating the TCB trucksale at Karwan Bazar Wednesday.

He remarked that the issue of inflation of daily essentials could be largely mitigated by improving the supply chain. “We have been working day and night to improve the supply chain. We have also been holding meetings with the relevant people regarding production, import and stockpile. Everyone is sensitive to these issues. The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has also enhanced their supervision.”

The commerce adviser further said the government was aware about the sufferings of common people due to the high prices of products.

Stating that the government is actively trying to bring down the prices, he said stability would be restored if the supply and amount of products in the market could be increased.

*The report, originally published in the print and online eidtions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza