Bangladesh has approved the import of 50,000 metric tons of white rice from Pakistan under a government-to-government agreement to stabilize domestic prices, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase cleared the deal at a price of USD 395 per ton, marking another step in renewed trade engagement between Dhaka and Islamabad.
Rice prices in Bangladesh have increased by 15% to 20%, with medium-grade rice currently selling at around 80 taka, or USD 0.66, per kilogram. Despite higher imports and the removal of import duties to ease supply constraints, staple food prices have remained persistently high.
This latest agreement follows Bangladesh’s resumption of direct rice trade with Pakistan earlier this year, the first such trade since the country’s independence in 1971. In February, Bangladesh imported 50,000 metric tons of rice from Pakistan at a higher price of USD 499 per ton under a similar G2G arrangement.
Improved diplomatic relations between the two South Asian countries have supported the revival of trade. Ties strengthened after an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed power, following mass protests that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to leave the country last year.
Alongside the rice import from Pakistan, the Bangladeshi government has also approved the purchase of an additional 50,000 metric tons of parboiled rice through an international tender. This purchase is part of a broader series of rice imports aimed at easing supply pressures and cooling domestic food prices.
