DHAKA, March 7, 2024 (BSS) – State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu today said that there would be no crisis of sugar during the Holy month of Ramadan owing to any kind of reason or the recent S Alam Group factory fire incident.

“We’ve contacted with the owners of various mills and factories and with the current level of stockpile of sugar in their godowns, we hope that there will be no crisis of sugar during the ensuing Holy Month of Ramadan,” he said.

The State Minister was addressing a function marking the inauguration of distribution of essential items by the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) at Colony Market Polytechnic ground in the capital today.

Cautioning the businesses of not making any ill attempts to make artificial crisis of commodities in the market, he said, “I’ve looked into some media reports that ill attempts are there to hike the sugar price in one or two areas, but we won’t allow the traders to do that.

 The price of sugar won’t be increased at the mill gates even by a Taka. The concerned manufacturers have given such assurance to the government,” Ahsanul also said, “We never want that police and members of other law enforcement agencies spoil the fair environment in the market.

 If the usual pace remains in the market and it runs smoothly, then I believe that commodities will be available in the market at affordable prices.

 We’re pursuing that,” he said adding that the government would be tough if anyone tries to destabilize the market during this Holy Month.

The state minister said that there are some profit mongers who always try to make hefty profit in the name of flaws in the market management.

Mentioning that essential items are being provided to some one crore family card holders every month by the TCB following the directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he informed that digital cards are also being provided to the service recipients of TCB after scrutinizing their data.

Ahsanul also mentioned that the shops of the TCB dealers would be made fixed so that that people need not to waste time to buy the commodities from TCB.

The state minister said although the prices of essential items witnessed uptrend in the global market due to various reasons, but the government has still been selling essential items at subsidized prices as edible oil being sold at Taka 100 instead of Taka 163 while sugar is being sold at Taka 70 instead of Taka 140.

Commerce Ministry Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, TCB Chairman Brig Gen M Ariful Hasan spoke, among others, on the occasion.