State trading agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) plans to purchase roughly 80 billion taka worth of goods in the 2026-27 fiscal year to help keep the market for daily essentials stable. Alongside edible oil, lentils and sugar, the agency will also buy chickpeas and dates.
TCB initially plans to source about half of these goods domestically and the other half from the international market, though the share bought abroad could increase if international sourcing proves more competitive and reliable.
TCB Chairman Brigadier General Mohammad Faisal Azad shared the information in a recent interview.
According to Commerce Ministry sources, TCB has drawn up a procurement plan for the current fiscal year to ensure an adequate supply of daily essentials. Under the plan, the agency will purchase, from domestic and international sources, 220 million liters of edible oil, 220,000 metric tons of lentils, 110,000 metric tons of sugar, 14,000 metric tons of chickpeas and 4,400 metric tons of dates.
To ensure adequate stock and uninterrupted supply to consumers, TCB is regularly monitoring monthly demand, allocations, warehouse stock and pipeline supply.
The agency has also taken steps to expand warehouse capacity to strengthen stock management. TCB currently operates 40 warehouses — nine of its own and 31 rented — with total capacity of roughly 48,370 metric tons. Of that, its own warehouses account for 13,371 metric tons and rented warehouses for 34,999 metric tons.
TCB Chairman Faisal Azad said the agency’s current stock position is satisfactory for its ongoing operations. He said procurement and stock management are being strengthened to ensure the availability of essentials and keep the market stable, particularly for consumers who access goods through government support.
TCB is also working to reduce its reliance on government subsidies. It plans to cut that reliance by purchasing goods at competitive prices and selling some products at a small profit margin.
Faisal Azad said the government is working to build TCB into an institution better able to respond quickly to market demand, while expanding its role in controlling prices of daily essentials and keeping the market stable.
He said TCB supplies roughly 250,000 metric tons of edible oil a year, representing about 15% of the country’s total market — though its effective market share at the household level is even higher.
He said TCB also supplies a significant share of household demand for lentils and sugar, which he said helps prevent abnormal price spikes in these goods.
TCB is also expanding its product list. Alongside edible oil, lentils and sugar, it has begun selling soap, detergent and salt on a trial basis. There are plans to add flour and various spices, including chili and turmeric, in the future.
Faisal Azad said these products will be supplied below regular market prices, but without government subsidy.
TCB has currently approved roughly 8 million smart cards, of which about 7.5 million have been distributed. The remaining beneficiaries are expected to receive their smart cards before the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
Describing the smart card system as a dynamic process, he said names may be added, removed or changed on the beneficiary list due to deaths, relocations or other reasons.
TCB is also moving toward fully automating its supply system. Dealers currently scan smart cards using mobile phones. There are plans to soon introduce point-of-sale (POS) machines at sales points so consumers receive transaction receipts.
A new mobile-based system is also being developed for smartphone users, through which beneficiaries will be able to view their smart card information digitally and make payments via mobile financial services or Nagad.
Faisal Azad said TCB has built a system capable of accommodating around 21 different programs, and that other government agencies may in future be able to link their own beneficiary-focused programs to this platform.
He also spoke of efforts to expand TCB’s own warehouse capacity, saying the agency wants to build roughly 10,000 metric tons of additional storage capacity to reduce its reliance on rented warehouses.
He said strengthening logistics capacity is essential to increasing procurement and expanding the scope of market intervention.
On future strategy, the TCB chairman said the agency’s goal is to deliver quality daily essentials to consumers at affordable prices, while expanding its product list based directly on consumer demand.
He said TCB conducts surveys before introducing any new product, and tries to supply whatever consumers say they need. He noted that purchasing newly added products is not mandatory for beneficiaries, and said there would be no compromise on product quality.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report