A shipment of 20,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan is coming to Bangladesh early in March. Zia Uddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food of Bangladesh confirmed the matter to Saudi Arabia's Arab News. Earlier, an agreement was signed on January 5 to the import of Atap rice from Pakistan.
After a long tension, Bangladesh's relations with Pakistan are on the verge of improvement. The relations between the two countries have been far ahead since the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in the students' movement last August. In the same series, direct commercial relations between the two countries have also begun. After more than five decades through the import of this rice, the direct bilateral trade between the two countries is going to resume.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food Zia Uddin Ahmed told Arab News, “Twenty thousand tonnes of rice will arrive in Bangladesh on March 7 in the first shipment. This is the first time after 9 years, the Bangladesh government started importing rice from Pakistan. '
Earlier, a direct commercial connection with Pakistan began in November last year. For the first time after 9 years, a Pakistani cargo ship anchored at the port of Bangladesh. Private initiatives conducted this import and export program.
Amena Mohsin, an international relations expert and professor of North South University, said resuming trade with Pakistan is an important step for Bangladesh. “We want bilateral relations with Pakistan,” he said. We always give importance to the diversification of relationships. However, the most important is that we are currently in relation to our relations with India … The decision to import rice from Pakistan is very important in this context. '
This decision to import from Pakistan is important to tackle the rice crisis in Bangladesh. Due to floods and economic instability, large quantities of rice are being imported so that the market is not crisis. India is the main market of Bangladesh in the import of rice.
The research director of the Center for Policy Dialog. Khandaker Golam Moazzem said, “Currently there is a crisis of rice in Bangladesh, so it is important to collect rice from different sources at competitive prices. Finding a new source from this point of view is a positive thing for us. '
Earlier, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangladesh's Food Department and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to import of Atap rice from Pakistan on January 5. The Memorandum of Understanding is expected to unveil a new horizon to increase the country's rice market stable and to increase economic and trade relations.
Director General of the Food Department. Abdul Khalek and Chairman of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan Syed Rafiu Bashir Shah signed the Memorandum of Understanding. At that time the food secretary said. Masudul Hasan, Special Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan Shakil Ahmed Mangnizo and Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Syed Ahmed Maruf were present on both sides.
