The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is set to launch its nationwide truck sale programme on Tuesday, aiming to provide essential commodities at subsidised rates to low-income groups ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

Under this special drive, the state-run agency will deploy 450 trucks across the country to ensure essential goods remain within the purchasing power of the general public; TCB Deputy Director (Commercial) Md Shahadot Hassin confirmed the development to UNB on Monday.

He informed that the operational activities will be officially inaugurated on the morning in front of the TCB Principal Office in the capital.

Under the initiative, five essential items will be sold through 450 trucks across the country. In Dhaka alone, 50 trucks will operate at 50 designated points. Each truck will carry sufficient stock for 400 consumers, including edible oil, sugar, lentils, chickpeas and dates, Shahadot said.

Each package will contain two litres of soybean oil, one kilogram of sugar, two kilograms of lentils, one kilogram of chickpeas and 500 grams of dates. Buyers will be required to purchase the full package.

Under the truck sale, edible oil will be sold at Tk 115 per litre, sugar at Tk 80 per kg, lentils at Tk 70 per kg, and chickpeas and dates at Tk 160 per kg.

Apart from family card holders, around 180,000 consumers will be able to purchase products daily through the truck sale programme.

Alongside the truck sale, TCB will continue its subsidised sales through family cards. Under the family card system, edible oil will be sold at Tk 100 per litre, sugar at Tk 70 per kg, lentils at Tk 60 per kg, and chickpeas and dates at Tk 160 per kg.

The truck sales drive will initially continue until March 12, depending on demand, officials said.