Bangladesh’s interim government has begun importing rice from India as part of a significant move to secure the nation’s food supply. The first consignment of 27,000 tonnes of rice arrived at Chittagong port this week, marking the beginning of a larger import deal.
The shipment is part of an agreement for Bangladesh to import a total of 200,000 tonnes of rice from India, according to a food official. Despite the current availability of rice in the country, the official explained that the recent devastating floods prompted the government to take precautionary measures to prevent future food shortages.
“We are not facing any immediate rice shortage, but due to the severe floods, the government has decided to import rice to avoid any future crisis,” the official said.
In addition to the 200,000 tonnes of rice already contracted, Bangladesh plans to import another 100,000 tonnes through a tender process. The country is also exploring further rice imports at the Government-to-Government (GtoG) level.
To stabilize prices, Bangladesh has removed tariffs on rice imports, with private importers also benefiting from zero-duty facilities. So far, private traders have been granted permission to import up to 1.6 million tonnes of rice from India.
Furthermore, Bangladesh has signed an agreement with Myanmar to import 100,000 tonnes of rice and is in discussions with Vietnam and Pakistan about additional imports.
India has expressed its commitment to supporting Bangladesh during this time. Pranay Kumar Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, recently emphasized the strong trade ties between the two nations, stating, “Despite the political changes in Bangladesh, India has engaged with the interim government in full earnest. In fact, our trade has increased in the last six months compared to the same period last year.”
The political shift in Bangladesh occurred on August 5 when a student-led movement ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following weeks of protests and violent clashes that resulted in over 600 deaths. Hasina fled to India, and a new interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
(Inputs from ANI)
