BDR shops to be shut down
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) is set to close its fair price outlets across the country from September 29 after running those for over one and a half years due to low volume of sale.
Another reason behind the move to close the outlets is the decision to engage the BDR members in maintaining law and order and border security ahead of upcoming national elections, sources said.
BDR in the meantime officially stopped selling powdered milk imported from China at its outlets.
Visiting several outlets in the capital yesterday, The Daily Star correspondent found a few consumers many of whom were yet to know about the closure of the sale as no notice had so far been hung as of yesterday.
BDR officials, however, said they had been informed about the closure yesterday.
The fair price outlets sources said low volume of sale at the outlets, maintaining border security and law and order ahead of election prompted the authorities to take the decision to withdraw BDR personnel necessitating the closure of the outlets.
Besides, government's reluctance to run the outlets is also a reason behind their shutting down, said the sources.
Talking to The Daily Star, BDR Dhaka Sector Commander Col Mujibul Huq said the fair price outlets had been initiated on March 15, 2007 with a view to reining in the skyrocketing prices of essentials and selling them at a reasonable price.
“BDR feels no necessity to run the outlets as the prices of essentials had already begun to plummet in the markets across the country,” he said.
He, however, denied any kind of government's pressure to close the outlets.
“We will continue to sell essentials at the outlets till September 28 and the rest will be up for an auction after the Eid,” Col Huq said, adding, “The makeshift outlets will be removed gradually after September 29.
Another BDR official said they imported 500 tonnes of powder milk from China last year after a thorough examination but they had sold only about 100 tonnes. They will sell the rest 400 tonnes of powder milk on auction, he said.
Consumers, however, alleged that the quality of most of the products including rice being sold in most outlets is substandard and stinky and which is why consumers are reluctant to buy them and prices of them are almost same comparing to other markets except for the rice price which is a bit low at the outlets, they said.
Comments