Bangladesh govt approves proposal to import 150,000 tons of rice from India

Bangladesh government has approved a proposal to procure 150,000 tons of rice under the direct procurement method (DPM) from India.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said that the government is trying to procure rice from different sources so that no problems arise in future, Dhaka Tribune reported.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved three separate proposals to procure 350,000 tons of rice under the DPM from India, Thailand and Vietnam.

The approval came during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday, held virtually with Kamal in chair.

It was the eighth meeting of the committee this year.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the finance minister said a proposal was approved in principle for procuring 150,000 tons of non-basmati boiled rice under the DPM method from the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (PUNSUP) of India, to meet emergency purposes.

He said the meeting approved another proposal from the Ministry of Food for importing another 150,000 tons from the Sakonnakhon National Farmers Council, Office of the Prime Minister, in Thailand.

The third proposal from the Ministry of Food was approved to import 50,000 tons of white rice under the DPM method from the Southern Food Corporation (VINAFOOD) in Vietnam.

"We are procuring rice from various sources in order to minimise the risk factors," he added.

In response to a question, Kamal said the concerned Bangladesh ambassadors in India, Thailand and Vietnam would negotiate with the concerned compes and orgsations to fix the price of the rice to be imported.

( With inputs from ANI )