India-Bangladesh News / Bangladesh Interim Government import rice from India

India-Bangladesh News: Recently, the interim government of Bangladesh has announced the decision to import rice from India, which is a symbol of how deep the economic cooperation and mutual dependence is between the two countries. This government of Bangladesh is well aware that without the help of India, it may be difficult for their country to deal with the food crisis and meet other basic needs. Bangladesh imports not only food grains from India, but also many other important items, including important goods like salt, oil, spices and nuclear reactors.

Rice import decision: Purchase of 50 thousand tonnes of rice

Recently, the Bangladesh government has decided to import 50 thousand tonnes of rice from India, which is an important step to deal with the food crisis. The Food Ministry of Bangladesh is going to buy rice at a price of about Rs 39 thousand per ton through SAEL Agri Commodities of India. Apart from this, earlier on November 6, Bangladesh also approved the purchase of rice from Pattabhi Agro Foods Private Limited at Rs 40 thousand 300 per ton.

Bangladesh currently has a grain stock of 12.36 lakh tonnes, of which 8.08 lakh tonnes is rice. To meet the food requirements of the country, the Bangladesh government has set a target to import a total of 5 lakh tonnes of rice this financial year, which will be under open tender and government-to-government arrangements. This also proves that Bangladesh's food grain reserves are limited, and it feels the need to increase its dependence on India.

India-Bangladesh trade relations

India and Bangladesh have had very strong trade relations. India is Bangladesh's second largest trading partner, while Bangladesh is considered India's largest trading partner in South Asia. The total figure of bilateral trade between the two countries was around $ 15.9 billion in 2022-23. India is one of the largest suppliers of goods to Bangladesh, and along with this Bangladesh is also an important market for India.

The relations between the two countries have become even stronger under the government of Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh imports many products from India such as energy, agricultural products, minerals and industrial materials, while India exports its agricultural and industrial products as well as high-tech goods, especially refined oil, nuclear reactors, to Bangladesh.

Relief from food crisis to Bangladesh with India's help

Given the growing cooperation between India and Bangladesh in the matter of food security and other essential commodities, it can be said that India has become an important food and energy supplier for Bangladesh. If India stops its supply, the situation can become even more complicated for Bangladesh, especially in the case of food crisis. In such a situation, it is very important for Bangladesh to strengthen its relations with India and increase mutual cooperation.

Conclusion

The strength and mutual dependence of relations between India and Bangladesh shows that the trade of the two countries is very important for each other. Bangladesh's food import needs and India's cooperation have become a strong pillar in the relationship between the two countries. The importance of these relationships is likely to grow further in the future, especially as Bangladesh faces food crises and other supply chain problems.