The government has taken steps to meet the additional demand for sugar and ensure unadulterated products during the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan, according to officials.

"Currently, we have 44,000 tonnes of sugar in stock that can be supplied to the markets through dealers and open sales," said Md Arifur Rahman Apu, chairman of the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC).

Apu made these comments while addressing a virtual press briefing on a "special programme of the BSTI to control product quality during Ramadan and keep the price of sugar stable in the market," organised by the Ministry of Industries.

"We will supply loose sugar at Tk 63 per kilogramme [kg] and packaged sugar at Tk 68 per kg. There is no scope to sell our sugar for over Tk 75 at the retail level," he added.

However, a Trading Corporation of Bangladesh report on the price of daily essentials shows that sugar sold for around Tk 70 in Dhaka yesterday.

As per BSFIC data, Bangladesh needs around 18 lakh tonnes of sugar annually, of which around three lakh tonnes are consumed during Ramadan.

Of the total demand, BSFIC provides just 50,000 tonnes per year while private sector operations account for the remaining 17.5 lakh tonnes.

While addressing the briefing, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun said the government will take strict measures to prevent adulterated food or fake and low-quality products from entering the market during Ramadan.

Mobile court drives will continue while the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) will strengthen its market monitoring to this end.

The industries minister also said that there will be no shortage of essential goods during the month of fasting.

"We have adequate stocks of sugar and salt."

If anyone tries to increase the price of goods by creating an artificial crisis through manipulation, then strict action will be taken against them.

"We will adopt a zero-tolerance policy against this," Humayun added.

Kamal Ahmed Majumder, the state minister for industries, and Md Nazrul Anwar, director general of the BSTI, were also present.