Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin today (Jan 9) said 37 lakh Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB’s) cards have been canceled due to irregularities.

He said that fraudulent activities were carried out using NID duplication, leading to the elimination of duplicate and ineligible cardholders.

The adviser also said out of 1 crore cardholders, only 63 lakh are valid under the TCB smart card system.

He disclosed this while talking to reporters after a meeting with Turkish Trade Minister Prof. Dr. Omer Bolat at the Secretariat in the capital.

He said that the cancellation ensured no eligible beneficiaries were excluded. 

The valid cardholders will start receiving subsidized goods, including rice, this week, the adviser said. 

Additionally, 50 lakh families under the Food-Friendly Programme will soon benefit from low-cost rice distribution, he added.

BDST: 1523 HRS, JAN 9, 2025
MSK/SMS