The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start its fair price sale for commoners from the beginning of the holy month Ramadan.
Some 12 trucks will roam in four cities carrying items under the TCB scheme while five cut-price points will be set up for selling essential items including onion, edible oil and chick-pea.
Of the 12 trucks eight will be assigned for the capital city, two in Chittagong, one each in Rajshahi and Khulna.
Two points for selling the essentials will be set up in Dhaka, one in Gulistan and another at TCB main office, while one each in Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna.
Additional Commerce Secretary Golam Mostakim unveiled the plan while talking to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting at his office yesterday.
He said that the government has allowed the TCB to import 3,000 tonnes of lentil.
Meanwhile, Mostakim said some 6,698 dealers fanning out across the country will start selling 243,016 tonnes of rice from August 20 at a rate of Tk 28 per kg. The sales campaign will last until October 29.
The officials said that the Bangladesh Rifles has already started selling some 22 items including rice, edible oil and gram from its 210 cut-price outlets in 32 districts.
Of the 210 outlets, 100 have been installed in the capital city while the rests are outside Dhaka.
Responding to a question, he said that at present till date the government has a stock of 12 lakh tonnes of food grains including 10,15,925 tonnes of rice and 1,58,000 tonnes of wheat in its godowns.
The amount in the previous year was 7,11,000 tonnes including 5,96,000 tonnes of rice and 1,05,000 tonnes of wheat.
About the stock of onion, he said, this year's domestic production was 13,83,832 tonnes while another 3,75,189 tonnes have been imported.
The official ruled out any possibility of hike in onion prices.
About the outcome of yesterday's meeting in which representatives from 20 ministries and departments were present, he said, joint forces, RAB and BDR will monitor the market throughout Ramadan.
He referred to the statement by the Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman and said there would be no price hike of most commodities during Ramadan.