Dhaka to send delegation to India for rice import talks
Bangladesh will be sending a delegation to New Delhi soon for holding talks to import 10 lakh tonnes of rice to minimise shortfall and check rising prices here.
By PTI |
DHAKA: Bangladesh will be sending a delegation to New Delhi soon for holding talks to import 10 lakh tonnes of rice to minimise shortfall and check rising prices here.
Bangladesh's Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury had yesterday discussed over telephone with Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee about the planned purchase, adding that the Food Ministry officials in Bangladesh said.
Yesterday, Chief Adviser of the interim administration Fakhruddin Ahmed said his government took steps to import 10 lakh tonnes of rice to stabilise the food prices, while contract for the import of 4 lakh tonnes of rice had already been given under.
He said a "high-level" government delegation would go to India this week to finalise the import of 5 lakh tonnes of rice.
"Tender has been floated to import 1-2 lakh tonnes of rice from Thailand while a process to import rice from Vietnam is going on," he said.
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The government launched a series of steps like Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice at fair price, expanded Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) and test relief and Food-for-Work programmes in recent days to arrest the soaring price. The price of rice in the city's retail markets, however, has started falling since yesterday by Taka (Bangladeshi Rupee) 1-2 per kg.
Analysts and economists have criticised the government here for failing to ensure timely import despite earlier warnings in view of lower the production caused by recurring floods and cyclone last year.
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