Dhaka: The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is going to start open market sale (OMS) of essential commodities across Bangladesh from May 15 ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

"We will start the OMS activity across the country from May 15 for the convenience of people centering the holy month of Ramadan," TCB Spokesperson M Humayun Kabir said.

"A total of 185 trucks will be engaged to sell the essential commodities. Of them, 33 trucks will be in Dhaka, 10 trucks in Chittagong, five trucks each in other divisional cities and two trucks each in district towns," he said. 

Replying to a query, Kabir said: "The OMS would be operated on six days of a week except Friday." 

He said the OMS activity would continue till the demand from dealers. A total of 2,811 dealers across the country would run the activity. 

On April 30, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed at a meeting on essential commodities with traders, businessmen and officials concerned, said TCB is fully prepared for the job. "We've collected pulses and gram from Australia for OMS at subsidized price," he added. 

The TCB spokesperson said a consumer could buy highest 4kgs of sugar (local), 3kgs of lentil, 5 liters of soybean oil, 5kgs of gram and one kg of date from the OMS truck. 

Each liter of soybean oil would be sold at Taka 85 while Taka 55 fixed for each kilogram of sugar, Taka 80 for each kilogram of lentil, Taka 70 for each kilogram of gram and Taka 120 for each kilogram of date. 

TCB would allocate for daily sale 300-400kgs of sugar, 250-300kgs of lentil, 300-400kgs of gram, 20-30kgs of date and 300-400 liters of soybean oil to a truck. 

Besides, a dealer would get one-time allocation of 500-600kgs of sugar (local), 300-400kgs of lentil, 300-400 liters of soybean oil and 500-600kgs of gram, added Kabir. 

The 33 OMS trucks would sell the essentials in capital's Secretariat gate, Press Club, Kaptan Bazar, Chhapra Mosque and Palashi intersection, Science lab, New market/Nilkhet intersection, Shyamoli/Kalyanpur, Jhigatala intersection, Khamarbari at Farmgate, Kalmilata Bazar, Rajanigandha super market at Kachukhet, Agargaon Taltala and Election Commission Office, Ansar camp at Pikepara Mirpur, Mirpur-I majar road, Shantinagar Bazar, Malibagh Bazar, Basabo Bazar, Banashree, Bangladesh Bank Chattar, Mohakhali Khanchabazar, Sheorapara bazaar, Dainik Bangla intersection, Shahjahanpur bazaar, Fakirapul bazaar and Ideal zone, Motijheel bak chattar, Khilgaon Taltala bazaar, Rampura bazaar, Mirpur-10 goal chattar, Ashkuna haji camp and Uttara Rajlaxmi, Mohammadpur kanchabazar, Dilkusha, Madartek Nondipara Krishibank and Kalshi intersection.