Bangladesh will buy 50 thousand tonnes of rice from India despite tense relations

11-Jan-2025 01:28 PM

Despite ongoing tensions between Bangladesh and India since June 2024, Bangladesh has approved a proposal to import 50,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice from India.

A private Indian company won a recent global tender by offering the lowest price of $458.84 per tonne, which was accepted by Bangladesh's government food procurement agency.

The total cost for the 50,000 tonnes comes to $229.42 lakh, or approximately Rs 197 crore (280 crore taka).

This rice import is part of Bangladesh's broader plan to import 600,000 tonnes of rice during the 2024-25 financial year.

While the government assures that the country has sufficient rice stocks at present, it aims to build reserves to ensure supply stability in the future.

However, with the demand for rice on the rise and reported low stocks, the import is seen as necessary to maintain supply and control prices. Despite strained bilateral relations, the trade between the two countries seems unaffected for now.