This marks the first direct government-to-government (G2G) trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan since independence.

Tribune Desk

A Pakistani-flagged ship carrying 26,250 metric tons of government-imported rice from Pakistan has docked at Chittagong Port.

On Wednesday at 2pm, the vessel named MV CIB anchored at the port’s container terminal, carrying the first shipment of rice to be imported from Pakistan.

Officials from the Directorate General of Food’s Storage and Movement Control Office said that if all procedures go smoothly, unloading will begin later tonight.

They also mentioned that this marks the first direct government-to-government (G2G) trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan since independence. The shipment has arrived under a G2G agreement between the two nations.

According to the Directorate General of Food, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for importing 50,000 metric tons of Atap rice from Pakistan was signed on January 14 in Dhaka.

The MoU was signed between the Directorate General of Food and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.

Under this agreement, the first shipment arrived at Chittagong Port’s outer anchorage at 2am on Tuesday and docked at the port’s CCT-1 terminal at 2pm on Wednesday.

The unloading process is expected to begin on Wednesday night.

Jyoti Priyo Chakma, controller at the Chittagong Movement and Storage Regulatory Office, said: “Out of the 50,000 metric tons of Atap rice contracted from Pakistan, the first shipment of 26,250 metric tons has arrived at the port. The unloading process will begin once the rice samples are tested and surveyed. We hope to complete all procedures and start unloading by Wednesday night. Another shipment carrying the remaining rice is expected to arrive at Chittagong Port next week.”

Mohiuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, food inspector at the Chittagong Movement and Storage Regulatory Office, said: “Around 3,000 metric tons of rice can be unloaded from a ship daily. Based on this rate, it may take about eight days to unload the 26,250 metric tons of rice from the Pakistani vessel. Last month, a total of 93,783 metric tons of rice was unloaded at Chittagong Port, which was imported from India and Myanmar.”

Published Date: March 6, 2025