The government on Sunday authorised 242 private companies to import 5 lakh metric tonnes of rice, both parboiled and uncooked, in an effort to control rising rice prices and stabilise the domestic market.
According to the Food Ministry’s letter to the Commerce Ministry, 4.61 lakh tonnes will be parboiled rice and 39,000 tonnes will be uncooked rice, with a maximum 5 per cent broken grain limit.
Importers must market the allocated quantity within Bangladesh by 30 September and cannot repackage rice under different company names. The decision comes amid concerns that Aman rice production may be hit by recent flooding.
