Long waits for essential goods as demand surges for TCB, OMS products

Hundreds of people stood in a long queue on Monday morning along Manik Mia Avenue, near the National Parliament, hoping to purchase subsidised essential goods from a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) truck.

By 11:30am, nearly a hundred men and women had gathered. Some of them had been waiting since 8am. Despite the long wait, the truck had yet to arrive.

Md Jamshed Ali, a rickshaw-puller, had already experienced the frustration of returning empty-handed on Monday and came to the spot again on Wednesday. "I came the day before yesterday, but the queue was too long," he said. 

"Today I've been waiting for half an hour, and the truck still hasn't come. Buying from here saves me money."

When the truck finally arrived at around noon, customers collected tokens and stood in separate queues for men and women. Each truck allows 100 people per line to purchase items, but by 3:30pm, demand had far exceeded that limit.

Abu Bakar Siddique, 70, was 80th on the queue. He said, "I have been here for three hours. It's Ramadan, and standing in the sun is exhausting."

The scene on Manik Mia Avenue was mirrored across Dhaka and other major cities, including Karwan Bazar and Rampura. 

TCB trucks sell essential items at significantly reduced prices: edible oil at Tk100 per litre, lentils at Tk60 per kg, sugar at Tk70 per kg, chickpeas at Tk60 per kg, and 500 grams of dates for Tk155. Shoppers can save approximately Tk400 compared to regular market prices.

TCB currently operates 410 truck sales nationwide, including 50 in Dhaka and 20 in Chattogram, and distributes goods to 63 lakh families through its Family Card programme.

Addressing the growing demand, TCB spokesperson Humayun Kabir said, "We are updating the Family Card database while continuing truck sales for low-income groups. We are trying to ease people's hardships."

Struggles beyond capital

In Khulna, the shortage of subsidised goods left many empty-handed. 

Sabrina Begum, who queued at the Bangladesh Bank intersection from 11am, found that by 2pm, when it was her turn to receive the subsidised goods, the supplies had run out.

"I came hoping to buy goods at a lower price but the crowd and chaos meant I was left with nothing, she said"

In Bogura, Dolly Begum left her sick husband at home to stand in line at Jailkhana Mor from 8am. By 2:30pm, the dealer announced that stocks had run out, leaving more than 250 people without goods.

"If the government cannot supply enough, they should say so. It makes no sense to keep us waiting for hours during Ramadan," said Dolly.

Bogura has five TCB dealers serving 400 customers each day, according to district officials. However, demand regularly exceeds supply.

Abdul Kafi, a supervisor at Jahin Traders, acknowledged the overwhelming demand. "Around 1,500 to 2,000 people came today [Wednesday], but we only had enough stock for 400 customers," he said.

As food prices continue to rise, the long queues for TCB and OMS products highlight the growing pressure on low-income households across Bangladesh.

The poorest still left out of card system

Aleya Begum, 60, from Char Ubhoti village in Bhabaniganj union under Lakshmipur Sadar upazila, has been battling hardship since her husband's death several years ago. 

With limited mobility due to old age, she relies on begging to survive. Despite repeated attempts, she has been unable to secure a TCB card, which would allow her to purchase essential goods at subsidised rates.

"Will there not be a card for me?" Aleya asks, voicing the frustration of many others in her village who face similar struggles.

Among them are Jahangir, a rickshaw-puller, Julkha Begum, a 40-year-old widow, and Abdus Zaher, a 45-year-old farmer. None of them have been able to access TCB products or other government assistance. 

They claim the local union parishad (UP) member told them that the quota for cards is already full.

Md Liton, the UP member of Ward 4 in Bhabaniganj union, said the card allocation has decreased despite a large population.

"My ward has around 20,000 residents and over 7,000 voters. We used to have 250 TCB cards, but after the introduction of the smart system, it dropped to 240," he said. 

"How can I decide who to exclude? The government should allocate cards based on the size of the population."

Another UP member, Md Mizanur Rahman, echoed the concern, saying his ward, with a population of 2,000, also receives 250 cards. 

Both public representatives urged the government to distribute aid more equitably.

According to the Lakshmipur district administration, TCB products are sold through mobile trucks at three to five locations, but many residents, particularly the elderly and disabled, struggle to access them.

Low-cost meat, milk sales continue

In a separate initiative, the Ministry of Food is selling rice and flour through Open Market Sales (OMS) trucks at 70 locations in the capital. 

Rice is priced at Tk30 per kg and flour at Tk24 per kg, attracting large crowds due to rising market prices. Each customer can buy a maximum of five kilograms of each item.

To address food affordability during Ramadan, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is also selling meat, eggs and milk at subsidised rates at 25 locations. 

Dressed broiler chicken is priced at Tk250 per kg, pasteurised milk at Tk80 per litre, a dozen eggs at Tk114, and beef at Tk650 per kg. This initiative began on 28 February in preparation for the holy month.

However, the supply falls short of demand. Products are typically sold out within two hours of sales beginning, leaving many customers empty-handed.

Md Jamaluddin, who visited the Khamarbari sales point in the capital, expressed his frustration. "I heard meat was being sold at lower prices, but when I arrived at noon, everything was already gone."

According to the Department of Livestock Services, it sells 60,000 eggs, 6,000 litres of pasteurised milk, 2,000 kg of broiler chicken, and up to 2,500 kg of beef daily.

Our correspondents Sana Ullah Sanu in Lakshmipur, Awal Sheikh in Khulna and Bulbul Habib in Rajshahi contributed to the story.