Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir visits Sylhet Tilagor "Krishoker Haat" inauguration promoting fair farmer prices. Photo : PID

DHAKA, April 11, 2026 (BSS) - A government-managed “Krishoker Haat” has been launched in Sylhet for the first time with the aim of ensuring fair prices for farmers by reducing the influence of middlemen and providing safe food to consumers at affordable prices.

Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir formally inaugurated the initiative this morning at Tilagor Point area in the Sylhet city.

The programme, launched jointly by the Sylhet district administration and the Department of Agricultural Extension with the slogan “Safe and fresh products directly from farmers,” will allow marginal farmers to sell their produces directly to consumers without intermediaries and middlemen, said a Commerce Ministry press release.

Speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural function, the commerce minister said the government is taking various new initiatives to ensure transparency and balance in the market system.

He said agricultural products often transfer hands four to five times before reaching consumers, which leads to unreasonable price hikes. The “Krishoker Haat” will reduce these intermediary layers and create a win-win situation for both farmers and consumers, he added.

The minister said direct farmer-consumer linkage would bring relief to the market and help stabilize prices.

He also said the ‘Haat’ would sit on specific days of the week at designated locations under the supervision of district and upazila administrations, allowing farmers to sell their products directly. Administrative monitoring would ensure that there is no extortion or unexpected costs, he added.

Highlighting government efforts to stabilize the market, the minister said initiatives have been taken to modernize the supply system and bring the entire supply chain—from import to retail—under an integrated digital model to facilitate monitoring and quickly detect any market manipulation.

He further said the activities of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would be strengthened to maintain balance in the market for essential commodities. Increased imports through TCB would create an effective counter-balance in the market, he added.

The commerce minister also stressed the importance of expanding irrigation facilities and re-excavating canals to boost agricultural production, expressing hope that these initiatives would help stabilize the market in the future.

With Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam in the chair, among others, Divisional Commissioner Khan Md Reza-un-Nabi, Sylhet city BNP General Secretary Imdad Hossain Chowdhury, Acting President Rezaul Hasan Qayes Lodi, Sylhet Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khoshnur Rubaiyat and Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Shamsuzzaman were present.

Sources concerned said such farmers’ market would operate every morning at the designated location, and if the initiative proves successful, farmers would receive fair prices while consumers would be able to purchase safe and fresh products at comparatively lower prices, creating a positive impact on the market.