A woman fainted while standing in a long queue to collect subsidized products from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCIB) at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. The incident occurred around 2:30 PM on Wednesday. The woman, a resident of West Rajabazar, had been waiting in line since 8 AM to buy sugar, chickpeas, and soybean oil at a lower price. Due to prolonged waiting without food and the heavy crowd, she lost consciousness.
Bystanders quickly poured water on her head and helped her sit by the roadside. After a while, TCIB officials, considering the situation, allowed her to purchase the products, following which she returned home with the help of an acquaintance.
Two more similar incidents occurred at the same location today, where excessive crowding and jostling caused two more women to faint. According to local witnesses, extended waiting periods are severely affecting weak and ill individuals.
New Card Complications Depriving Families
The affected woman stated that her husband is a private chauffeur and their family consists of five members, including two school-going daughters. Although her husband has a TCIB family card, they have been unable to buy products for two months due to the lack of a new smart card. She had no choice but to stand in line today.
“It is difficult to run the household with just my husband’s income. That is why I had to endure such hardship,” she said.
The Appeal of Subsidized Goods and Growing Suffering
TCIB provides essential products at subsidized rates for low-income individuals. Consumers can purchase up to two liters of cooking oil (soybean or rice bran oil), two kilograms of lentils, one kilogram of sugar, two kilograms of chickpeas, and 500 grams of dates. Due to these subsidized prices, a consumer can save approximately 400 taka per month.
This opportunity for savings has led to overwhelming crowds at TCIB trucks every day. However, along with the demand, disorder, pushing, and dissatisfaction have also increased.
Deteriorating Queue Management: Chaos and Frustration
A visit to Manik Mia Avenue at noon today revealed that more than a hundred men and women had been in line since morning. As the day progressed, the original queue broke apart, and multiple new lines formed, leading to pushing and chaos.
Bilkis Akhter, a resident of West Rajabazar, said that she left home at 7 AM, searched for TCIB locations at three different places in the Farmgate area, and finally lined up at Manik Mia Avenue. When the TCIB truck arrived at 11:30 AM, the previous queue collapsed, and seven to eight new lines emerged. She was injured in the rush and had to leave the line.
Similar situations were reported in Shewrapara and other parts of the capital, where thousands of people are enduring unbearable suffering daily while trying to collect TCIB products.
Call for More Effective Solutions for Low-Income People
Experts believe that while TCIB’s subsidy program is crucial for low-income individuals, its poor management has become a significant issue. To prevent chaos, they recommend implementing a modern token system, online booking, and ensuring adequate supply trucks.
Affected consumers urge the government to expedite the smart card distribution process and increase the number of sales centers to reduce such disorder and hardship. Additionally, setting specific and organized distribution times would minimize the need for prolonged waiting in queues.