Economic Reporter :
Long queues of consumers from limited income groups were formed at the open market sale units of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh at places across the capital on Sunday.
As the country goes into a weeklong lockdown from Monday to tackle the COVID-19 situation, people were on somewhat buying spree across Dhaka and the limited income people surged the TCB’s OMS trucks. The buyers had to wait for hours in queues as there was huge crowd.
The TCB’s dealers have posted 100 trucks at different parts of the city but there were limited number of items. More 400 trucks are posted at places across the country.
In most cases, the dealers forced the consumers to purchase all the items they had on display in a package although they were supposed to sell commodities as per requirement of the consumers.
Despite huge demand of onion from the consumers ahead of Ramadan, the TCB dealers could not provide the item on the day.
There was also demand for edible oil as the difference between market price and OMS price was wider. But the dealers forced the all buyers to buy sugar, chickpeas, red lentil and a two-litre bottle of soybean oil in package.
The TCB provides an individual 2-4 kg of sugar at Tk 55 per kg, two kg of lentil at Tk 55 a kg, two kg of gram at Tk 55 per kg, 2-5 litres of soybean oil at Tk 100 since April 1. The corporation will also provide and one kg of dates at Tk 80 from a week ahead of Ramadan.
Abdullah Al Monjur, Mostafiz and Jahangir, sellers at Mouchak and Khilgaon area, said that the number of customers at the trucks was increasing the past few days.
They said that the most demanded item was soybean oil. Asked why they were forcing buyers to buy commodities in a package, they said that most of the commodities would remain unsold, if they do not sell them in a package.
They remained mum when they were reminded of the TCB’s rule to sell commodities as per requirement of the customers.
Mohammad Jamal, who lost his job after the COVID-19 pandemic began, lined up in front of a TCB truck in Dhaka’s Mouchak, said that he had no ability to buy essential goods at market price. So, he waited for an hour for oil, onion and lentil.
Rahima Begum, a domestic aide, was seen shouting at the seller at Khilgaon around noon as she got one bottle of oil after waiting for an hour though her demand was two bottles.
She said that despite having no need to buy lentil and sugar, she was forced to buy two kgs of sugar, chickpeas, lentil in a package and got only one bottle of edible oil.
Some of the buyers alleged that forcing them to buy products in package was discouraging them and many were returning without buying anything.
TCB spokesman Humayun Kabir told that TCB has adjusted the prices of commodities as the prices were higher in the market.
Asked about the absence of onions in many trucks, he said their onions stock was thin. There would be fresh supplies of onions soon, he added.
