TCB hikes prices of onion, edible oil, sugar for open market sales

Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has hiked prices of onion, edible oil and sugar for open market sales ahead of the month of Ramadan.

As per the new prices, consumers will have to pay 10 per cent higher to Tk 100 to buy a litre of soybean oil from tomorrow.

In case of onion, a buyer will have to pay 33 per cent higher to Tk 20 to buy one kilogram of onion from mobile trucks of the state agency.

A buyer will also have to county 10 per cent higher to Tk 55 to get one kilogram of sugar from TCB's van in Dhaka,  Chattogram and other parts of the country, according to the agency.

 "We have adjusted prices to reduce the gap between market prices and our sale prices," said TCB spokesperson Humayun Kabir, explaining the reasons for the prices hike.

The move by TCB, which usually sell certain essential commodities below the market prices to ease pressure on poor and low-income people, comes at a time when soaring prices of commodities stretch the wallets of consumers.

In mid of March, the commerce ministry hiked prices of bottled soybean oil to Tk 139 a litre from Tk 135 each litre amid demand processors.

Until March 31, TCB had been selling edible oil at Tk 90 each litre, sugar at Tk 50, lentil Tk 55 and onion at Tk 15 per kilogram since it started selling the commodities on March 17.

The corporation had been selling commodities through 400 trucks, including 80 in Dhaka and 20 in Chattogram city.

On March 31, the TCB said it is going to increase the number of trucks by 100 throughout the country to sell six commodities ahead of the month of Ramadan.

The state agency said it will sell sugar, lentil, soybean oil, onions, gram and dates through 500 trucks including 100 in Dhaka.