Workers must show their factory ID cards and sign the factory’s master roll to buy rice.
A government official distributes subsidised rice to a garment worker during the launch of a special Open Market Sale (OMS) scheme to reduce food costs for low-income workers, in Chattogram, on 13 November 2026. Photo: TBS
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A government official distributes subsidised rice to a garment worker during the launch of a special Open Market Sale (OMS) scheme to reduce food costs for low-income workers, in Chattogram, on 13 November 2026. Photo: TBS
The government has launched a special Open Market Sale (OMS) scheme to cut food costs for garment workers, with rice on sale at Tk30 per kilogram at 10 centres in Chattogram from today (13 November).
Each worker can buy up to 10kg a month.
The scheme was inaugurated at 10am near Lucky Garments in the city’s North Kattali area.
The Directorate General of Food, under the Ministry of Food, is running the programme. The ministry and the directorate have set up separate monitoring teams to ensure transparency. The scheme will initially run for three months.
It has also started in Dhaka city and other parts of Dhaka district, Gazipur and Narayanganj. According to the ministry, 375 tonnes of rice will be sold nationwide through 75 trucks.
Workers must show their factory ID cards and sign the factory’s master roll to buy rice.
In Chattogram, it is being sold from trucks at the following centres, each linked to a factory:
- In front of Kulgaon City Corporation School, Baluchara (Loyaltex Limited)
- Beside Oxygen rail gate (KDS Fashion Limited)
- Beside Dewanhat C&B gate (Priyam Garments Limited)
- Kalurghat, Berger factory intersection (Azim Group, Woven Division)
- North side of the rail line at Bahir Signal (Base Textiles Limited and Four H Group)
- In front of Ruby Gate, Bayezid (Chowdhury Fashion Wear Limited)
- Bakalia, Chaktai Tulatoli intersection (The Need Apparels Limited)
- Intersection beside Lucky Garments, North Kattali (Kattali Textile Limited)
- In front of the TCB office at CEPZ intersection (BD Apparels Limited)
- Steel Mill Bazar, KEPZ (Kenpark Bangladesh Apparel (Pvt) Ltd)
Sales will run from 10am to 5pm every Friday, with a break from 12:30pm to 2pm for Jummah prayers. Each truck will carry five tonnes of rice. Any unsold rice will be sold the following Saturday.
The government regularly runs subsidised OMS programmes to improve food access and give price support to low-income people. The garment workers’ scheme is an extension of that effort.
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