Kumar Bahukhandi
There is no reduction in tension in India-Bangladesh relations (Photo- Reuters)
Bilateral trade has also been affected after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh. However, on the request of the Yunus government, India is providing food grains to the Bangladeshi people. On Thursday December 26 , 2024 itself, a ship loaded with rice reached the Chittagong port of Bangladesh.
Amidst food shortage and rising inflation, Bangladesh is dependent on India. Despite the tension with India, the interim government of Bangladesh is looking towards India for its food security. A few days ago, the news came that the Bangladesh government will buy 50,000 tons of rice from India. Now the news is that today, i.e. on Thursday, 700 tons of rice is reaching Bangladesh from India. This is the first time after the coup of Sheikh Hasina and Mohammad Yunus taking over the command of the interim government that a consignment of rice from India is reaching Bangladesh by ship.
According to a local newspaper of Bangladesh, Bangladesh is buying parboiled rice from India to meet the shortage of food grains in the local markets, which is arriving at the Chittagong port on Thursday.
In a press release issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday, it was said that the Indian ship MV Tanais Dream will reach the port at around 5:30 am with a consignment of rice.
India-Bangladesh relations were in a very good phase during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, but the Sheikh Hasina government was overthrown due to the student movement in July-August. After this, Sheikh Hasina came to India and an interim government was formed in Bangladesh under the leadership of Nobel Prize winner Mohammad Yunus. Since the arrival of the new government, India-Bangladesh relations have remained tense, which has also affected bilateral trade. Bangladesh is increasing friendship with its historical enemy Pakistan and is moving away from India.
Recently, some sources had told Economic Times that Bangladeshi traders are being forced to buy goods from Pakistan.
Bangladesh bought rice from India under the agreement
An agreement regarding the purchase of rice was signed between Bangladesh and India on November 11. Under this agreement, the first consignment of rice from India is reaching Bangladesh.
Earlier, a report was published in the local newspapers of Bangladesh that in view of the shortage of food grains in the country, the interim government is going to buy 50 thousand tons of rice from India. It was told that this rice will be purchased for the government food distribution program. In view of the rising inflation in the country, the interim government is emphasizing on the government food distribution program to provide relief to the poor.
According to the data of the Bangladesh Food Ministry, till December 17, Bangladesh had 11.48 lakh tons of food grains, in which about 7.42 lakh tons was rice. The government bought 26.25 lakh tons of food grains till December 17 in this financial year, in which 54.170 tons was rice. The Bangladeshi government plans to distribute 20.52 lakh tonnes of food grains in the financial year 2024-25
