Indian rice import thru’ HLP resumes after 35 months

Import of Indian rice through Hili Land Port (HLP) in Dinajpur resumed today after 35 months to keep the rice price stable and normal in the local markets across the country.

Talking to BSS tonight, President of the Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents' Association (CC&FAA) at HLP Kamal Hossain Raj said rice price would become normal in local markets as its import from neighbouring India began from today.

Three vehicles carrying the first consignment of 112 metric tons of rice belonging to importing company 'Messrs Jagdish Chandra Roy' of Hakimpur upazila in Dinajpur entered Bangladesh through HLP at noon today.

Manager Shri Pado of 'Messrs Jagdish Chandra Roy' said, "We have got permission to import 10,000 metric tons of rice in several consignments in compliance with various conditions of the government."

"Today, out of 600 metric tons of our first consignment, 112 metric tons of 'Swarna-5' variety rice entered the country through the HLP," he said, hoping that rice of the other importers will start entering through the port within a couple of days.

He said if the imported rice could be supplied to different parts of the country at the right time, the price of rice in the country's market would start coming down.

Meanwhile, President of Hili Land Port Import-Export Group and Hakimpur upazila parishad Chairman Harun Ar Rashid told BSS tonight that rice shipments arrived in the country through HLP after a long 35 months.

"Rice is being imported now through the HLP after purchasing at the rate of 356 US dollars per ton from India. Many other companies have also opened letters of credits (LCs) to import rice," he said.

General Secretary of the CC&FAA at HLP Abdur Rahman Litan said the price of rice in the local market will also come down when import of rice starts in full swing through the HLP within the next few days.