Allegations of bribery and irregularities have emerged over the renewal of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) dealerships in Gopalganj, with former dealers claiming that qualified applicants were excluded in favour of ineligible businesses.
The allegations have also raised concerns among smart-card beneficiaries and local residents about possible difficulties in distributing subsidised goods this month.
At the centre of the controversy is Faruk Sharif, owner of M/s Faruk Traders, whose dealership in Gopalganj Sadar was reportedly renewed despite questions over the business’s eligibility and the existence of its shop and warehouse.
According to allegations by former TCB dealers, Faruk first obtained the dealership in the 2022–23 fiscal year by submitting fabricated documents and providing false information. They claim similar irregularities occurred during the recent renewal process.
On July 12, 2026, TCB dealers from Gopalganj Sadar and other parts of the district submitted written complaints to the corporation’s headquarters and relevant offices. They also organised a human chain and other protests, demanding the reinstatement of former dealers and protesting what they described as an irregular renewal.
Dipak Kumar Saha, owner of M/s Dipak Store; Amal Kumar Saha, owner of M/s Baby Store; and Sohel Mia, owner of Jewel Mudi Store, along with other former dealers, alleged that they had paid Tk 20,000 each to Md Kamruzzaman, assistant director and office chief at TCB’s Madaripur office, during inspections of their businesses.
They said Kamruzzaman had assured them that their warehouses, operating shops and documents met the requirements for renewal. However, they later learned that their dealerships would not be renewed.
The former dealers further alleged that the money they had paid was not returned and that M/s Faruk Traders and M/s Rimi Enterprise received renewed dealerships in exchange for large sums of money.
They said they had submitted written complaints to the TCB chairman, the Gopalganj deputy commissioner and the Gopalganj Sadar upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), but had yet to receive a satisfactory response.
The complainants acknowledged that M/s Rimi Enterprise met the eligibility requirements but questioned the validity of M/s Faruk Traders’ renewal.
Faruk Sharif and Kamruzzaman have rejected the allegations, describing them as fabricated and baseless.
A team of journalists visited the area on October 8 and 11 and found that no shop or warehouse belonging to M/s Faruk Traders appeared to exist at the address in Boalia Bazar under Gopinathpur union, Gopalganj Sadar, where the business had registered its TCB dealership.
The investigation also found allegations that Faruk had obtained the original dealership in the 2022–23 fiscal year through political influence and payments to officials despite allegedly lacking a visible shop and warehouse. These claims could not be independently verified.
Gopalganj Sadar UNO Kaushik Ahmed said the upazila administration had no direct role in renewing TCB dealerships and that the process of appointing new dealers was underway.
He said he had learned that the two renewed dealerships would be used to conduct TCB operations this month across 21 unions and Gopalganj municipality, without prior consultation with his office by the TCB Madaripur official.
Ahmed added that he would discuss the matter with the deputy commissioner and contact the relevant TCB authorities if any irregularities were found, in an effort to resolve the issue.
The allegations have put the dealership renewal process under scrutiny, while beneficiaries remain concerned about the smooth distribution of subsidised essential commodities in the district.
