Nearly 50% TCB dealers appointed on endorsement by MPs, ministers

Nearly 50 percent of the dealers for the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh or TCB have been appointed following recommendations of the MPs or the ministers.

The information was disclosed at the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry on Sunday.

Dealers for the government’s trading arm are appointed throughout Bangladesh to sell daily commodities imported by the government. These are sold at low prices through the selected dealers to keep the market price in check.

The committee was told that of the 2,861 dealers, 1,345 were appointed on the recommendations of the ministers, state ministers and MPs.

Altogether 691 of them had been directly appointed on the endorsements while 345 recommended applicants had been appointed after being vetted by the district administrations.

The rest, 1,471 dealers were scrutinised and selected by the district administrations.

Presided over by committee chairman Md Tajul Islam Choudhury, the meeting was attended, among others, by Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Enamul Haque, Waresat Hussain Belal, Md Sanowar Hossain and Laila Arjuman Banu.

The committee was also told that a total of 43 companies from 17 countries were now taking part in the month-long Dhaka International Trade fair.

The parliamentary committee asked the authorities to continue with the countrywide anti-adulteration drives.