TDS Desk

The Chattogram port has received 22,000 tonnes of Atap rice from Myanmar, transported by the MV Golden Star.

The consignment, imported on a government-to-government (G2G) basis, marks the first shipment of its kind under the current interim government, the Ministry of Food said in a media release issued on Friday.

Samples from the shipment will undergo physical testing before unloading begins and all necessary arrangements have already been made to ensure a smooth process, it said.

This shipment follows a separate agreement between Bangladesh and Pakistan to import rice.

On 14 January, the Directorate General of Food signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) in this regard.

Md Abdul Khaleque, director general of the directorate, and Syed Rafeo Bashir Shah, chairman of the TCP, formalised the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

According to sources at the directorate, the procurement process will commence following approval from the government’s purchase committee. Shipments from Pakistan are expected to begin arriving by February, reports UNB.

The food ministry stated in its release that the MoU is anticipated to stabilise the domestic rice market while fostering economic and trade relations between the two countries.

“This agreement is expected to open a new chapter in strengthening bilateral ties and ensuring food security,” the statement read.