In a fresh move, the government has extended the deadline for rice imports by the private sector, allowing importers to bring in and sell the grain in the market until April 20.
Earlier, on January 18, the government allowed 232 importing companies to bring in a total of 200,000 tonnes of rice. Later, after an evaluation, 10 companies were removed from the list, leaving 222 firms eligible to import.
The government announced the extension in a notification signed by Ariful Islam, Deputy Secretary of the Foreign Procurement Wing at the ministry of food on March 13. The notice confirmed that companies with rice import quotas now have an additional month to import and market their rice.
Rice importers at Benapole Land Port have welcomed the government’s decision. They said, allowing rice imports is playing an important role in controlling rising rice prices in the market.
As part of the initiative, rice imports from India through Benapole Land Port began on January 27, with the initial deadline set for March 10.
Traders said that due to the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, import and export activities at Benapole Land Port are expected to remain suspended for eight consecutive days. This had created concerns among businesses about whether rice-laden trucks from different parts of India would be able to enter Bangladesh on time.
Importer Abdus Samad and several other traders said the extension of the deadline has eased much of their concerns. They expressed hope that the decision would allow uninterrupted rice imports and increase supply in the market.
Meanwhile, Shyamal Kumar Nath, Sub-Assistant Officer of the Plant Quarantine Centre at Benapole Checkpost, said that from January 27 to March 10, a total of 5,005 tonnes of rice were imported from India through 32 consignments carried by 141 trucks over 16 working days.
Aman/