A consignment of 2450 tonnes of rice from India has recently arrived in Bangladesh at the Darshana Land Port in Chuadanga. The rice, imported via the tail route, was transported in 42 railway boxes from Gede Port in India, arriving at Darshana Port around 9 pm on January 14, 2025.

The shipment was ordered by a company in Dhaka's Purana Paltan area, and its invoice value is $490 per tonne. A Kolkata-based firm handled the export.

The rice is set to undergo customs clearance at Darshana Port, after which it will be transported to either Ishwardi or Sirajganj. From there, it will be further distributed by truck to its final destination.

This is the first consignment in a total order of 159,000 tonnes of rice that Bangladesh is importing from India by rail. The rice importation via Darshana Port indicates that more such shipments are expected in the future.

In addition to the rail import, Bangladesh is also receiving significant quantities of Sela rice through road and sea routes.

While rice is being imported at both the government and private trader levels, the increased demand is driven by concerns over a decrease in local rice production, which has led to a rise in rice prices.