During the second day of the Deputy Commissioners’ (DC) Conference on Monday, Food and Land Adviser Ali Imam Majumder announced plans for the affordable and, in some cases, free distribution of food grains during the holy month of Ramadan. He emphasized that DCs have been instructed to ensure these initiatives are implemented in an orderly manner.

Following the session on food and land ministries, the adviser revealed that around 7 lakh tons of food grains will be distributed in March and April. Under the Food-Friendly Program, 50 lakh families will receive 30 kilograms of rice per month at a subsidized rate of 15 BDT per kilogram, totaling 3 lakh tons across two months. Additionally, 1 lakh tons of rice will be distributed through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), with another 1 lakh tons through the Open Market Sale (OMS) initiative. Furthermore, during Eid, 1 crore families will receive 10 kilograms of rice each completely free of cost. Additional programs will also be implemented to support the population.

Majumder explained that these initiatives aim to stabilize market prices and will be monitored by various authorities, with DCs playing a key supervisory role. Special directives have been issued to ensure stricter oversight in Dhaka, which was previously not as closely monitored. The Dhaka Divisional Commissioner has been engaged in meetings to address these issues, with further discussions planned. The division’s 122 sales centers and 70 truck sales points, including those beyond TCB operations, will be supervised by magistrates if necessary to ensure effective management.