The government has moved to procure lentils and edible oil to help stabilise the market for essential commodities ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
The decision was taken on Tuesday at the first meeting this year of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase, held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at the Bangladesh Secretariat and chaired by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.
According to officials, the committee recommended approval of separate proposals to procure lentils and refined soybean oil, aimed at ensuring adequate supply and controlling prices during the Ramadan period.
Under the approved plan, the government will procure 10,000 metric tonnes of lentils through the national Open Tender Method (OTM) at a cost of about Tk 71.87 crore. The price has been fixed at Tk 71.87 per kilogram.
The proposal was placed by the Ministry of Commerce, with Payel Automatic Food Processing Mills of Chattogram selected as the supplier.
The committee also approved the import of 13.575 million litres of refined soybean oil through the international Direct Procurement Method (DPM). The import will cost around Tk 178.47 crore, with the per-litre price set at Tk 131.47.
The soybean oil will be imported from Thailand through Prime Corp World Company Limited.
Meanwhile, a separate proposal to procure soybean oil through a national tender process was withdrawn at the request of the Ministry of Commerce.
Officials said the procurement decisions are part of the government’s broader efforts to stabilise prices of essential commodities and ensure uninterrupted supply ahead of Ramadan, a period when demand typically rises.
