The government has issued the revised Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) Dealer Appointment and Management Policy 2025 to make subsidized goods distribution among low-income families more transparent and accountable. The updated policy, released in June 2026, restricts dealership applications exclusively to genuine grocery traders holding updated trade licenses. It also disqualifies all categories of salaried employees, including those in government, semi-government, autonomous, private, and MPO-listed educational institutions.

The new policy introduces several administrative changes, such as mandatory physical presence of dealers during official inspections, increased security deposit requirements from 30,000 to 50,000 taka, and a shortened renewal grace period of one month with a fine. It also allows district commissioners to appoint substitute dealers from nearby areas to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential goods. The 2025 and 2021 policies have been repealed with the issuance of this revised version.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, the revision was prompted by operational complexities and weak oversight found in the earlier policy. Currently, 8,273 dealers operate across the country, with new appointments and contract cancellations ongoing.