District Correspondent

A total of 2,100 metric tonnes of parboiled (non-basmati) coarse rice has been imported through Benapole Land Port over six working days, port officials said.

The rice arrived in 15 consignments carried by 58 trucks between January 27 and February 17 from India.

The importing firms are Messrs Haji Musa Karim & Sons and Messrs Bhuiyan Enterprise, according to port sources.

The government has allowed duty-free rice imports to help stabilise domestic prices. Customs authorities are clearing consignments on a priority basis to ensure swift market supply.

Port data show that 6,128 metric tonnes of rice were imported through Benapole between August and November last year. On January 18 this year, the government permitted 232 importers to bring in a total of 2,00,000 metric tonnes of rice, with a deadline of March 3 to complete imports and release the grain to the market.

The landed cost of the imported rice stands at around Tk 50 per kilogram, including all expenses.

Benapole Port Director Shamim Hossain said officials have been instructed to expedite clearance of rice consignments to maintain steady supply in the domestic market.

Published Date: February 17, 2026