Dealers of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) in Nilphamari stopped withdrawing of their allocated products from TCB warehouse in Rangpur as the prices of the essential commodities are either higher or almost the same as in the open markets.

Although authorities claimed that the state-owned trading body started selling of essential Ramadan commodities like chickpea, sugar, soya bean oil and lentils from May 6, it was only in pen and paper and never actually started.

TCB has 16 authorised dealers for all the upazilas in Nilphamari while two special dealers for the district town who are likely to run makeshift selling centres at different points.

While visiting different selling points in the district town, this correspondent saw a number of people belonging to the low and middle-income groups, who came to buy Ramadan commodities at fair price, loitering around the closed shops.

One Jobdal Hossain, 60, of Sabujpara area in the town, said, “I came here several times since May 6 to buy Ramadan commodities but always find the shops close.”

Rahmatullah Chunnu, one of the TCB dealers at Gashbari area, said, “We are unwilling to withdraw TCB goods to avoid the loss as the prices of some commodities are much higher than in the open market.”

TCB fixed rate of one kilogram of chickpea at Tk 65, lentil Tk 50, sugar Tk 55, date Tk 100 and soya bean Tk 85 a litre. But chickpeas and lentils are being sold in the open market at Tk 60 and Tk 48 respectively, while the prices of sugar, soya bean and date are almost the same. 

Another TCB dealer Satyen Roy said each dealer is allocated 400 kg of chickpeas, 400 kg lentils, 400 kg sugar, 400 litre soya bean oil and 50 kg dates per day.