Staff Correspondent – Dhaka

A large portion of Bangladesh’s rice imports come from India. Recently, India imposed new conditions on its rice exports. However, these changes have not yet affected the Bangladesh market.

Officials of the food directorate say that in addition to having sufficient stock, global rice prices have fallen and there are alternative sources besides India. As a result, the rice market is expected to remain stable. Traders also report that they are not facing any difficulties importing rice due to India’s new requirements.

On 24 September, India introduced a new condition for exporters of all rice except basmati. The exporters must now register with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The country’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued an order making such registration mandatory. Under this rule, non-basmati rice can be exported only after a contract has been registered with APEDA.

Bangladesh mainly imports non-basmati or ordinary rice from India. In the last fiscal, Bangladesh imported 600,000 tonnes of rice from India, and the target for the current fiscal year is roughly the same.

According to data from the food directorate’s procurement division, the rice import target for the current fiscal has been set at 950,000 tonnes. Of this amount, 97,000 tonnes will be atap (non-parboiled) rice, with the rest being parboiled rice.

When asked whether India’s new conditions would affect government rice imports, Md. Moniruzzaman, director of the food directorate’s procurement division, told Prothom Alo, “The registration requirement under the new rule will not disrupt imports. The suppliers we buy rice from have already completed the necessary registration.”

Chitta Majumdar, one of the country’s leading rice importers, also told Prothom Alo that the new Indian requirement has not caused any difficulties for them in importing rice. Therefore, this decision has had no impact on the rice market either.

At a meeting of the government’s purchase advisory committee yesterday (Wednesday), approval was given to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from India. Another open tender for importing an additional 50,000 tonnes is scheduled for 15 October.

Rice stock in the country is currently adequate. According to the directorate, Bangladesh now has 1.6 million tonnes of rice in reserve, while 1.2 million tonnes is considered the minimum safe stock

In the last fiscal year, the government approved the import of 1.6 million tonnes of rice through the private sector. However, the food directorate could not provide information on how much was actually imported.
Md. Moniruzzaman said that rice prices in the global market have now fallen. Last year, the price per tonne of rice was 477 US dollars, whereas this year it has dropped to 359 dollars, meaning rice is being imported at 118 dollars less per tonne compared to last year.

Noting that rice prices have also fallen in Myanmar and Vietnam, Moniruzzaman said, “We have signed an agreement to import 100,000 tonnes of rice from Myanmar, and a similar agreement will be signed with Vietnam next month.”

According to the directorate’s data, this year Myanmar has set the price of rice at 376 US dollars per tonne, down from 515 dollars last year. The price of Vietnamese rice is roughly the same.

It is difficult to gauge the rice market situation by looking at just a month or a year, because rice prices have gradually increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

Officials at the food directorate say that rice stock in the country is currently adequate. According to the directorate, Bangladesh now has 1.6 million tonnes of rice in reserve, while 1.2 million tonnes is considered the minimum safe stock. Once Aman paddy procurement begins after 15 November, reserves will increase further.

A visit to several markets in Dhaka showed that rice prices remain stable. Haji Rais Mia, owner of Haji Rice Agency in Karwan Bazar, told Prothom Alo that rice prices have remained unchanged for the past two months. “The price hasn’t gone up,” he said. Coarse rice is selling for between Tk 60 and Tk 65 per kilogram, while fine rice, depending on the quality, is selling for Tk 75 to Tk 80 per kilogram. Md. Jewel, owner of Bhai Bhai Store in Tejturi Bazar, Farmgate, told Prothom Alo, “We’re selling coarse rice at Tk 65 and miniket at Tk 80. Prices are the same as before.”

According to the daily price list of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), coarse rice is priced between Tk 55 and Tk 65 per kilogram, while fine rice ranges from Tk 75 to Tk 85.

However, it is difficult to gauge the rice market situation by looking at just a month or a year, because rice prices have gradually increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. According to TCB data, in January of that year, the price of coarse rice was Tk 30–35 per kilogram. Medium rice sold for Tk 40–50, and fine rice for Tk 45–60 per kilogram. Now, coarse rice is selling for Tk 60–65 per kilogram, medium rice for Tk 70–75, and fine rice for Tk 75–85 per kilogram.

According to the food directorate, in March 2024, rice and wheat reserves totaled just over 1.6 million tonnes. By March 2025, this had decreased by about 94,000 tonnes to 1.517 million tonnes. Rice stocks in March 2024 were slightly over 1,366,000 tonnes, which fell to 1,083,000 tonnes by March 2025. Currently, rice reserves stand at 1.580 million tonnes.

In 2024, rice procurement during the Boro season fell short of the target. The Boro procurement contract ended on August 31, 2024, and its duration was not extended. Officials at the food directorate believe that if it had been extended, an additional 200,000 tonnes of rice could have been procured.

Aman procurement in 2024 also fell below the target. The targets had been set at 350,000 tonnes of paddy, 550,000 tonnes of parboiled rice, and 100,000 tonnes of atap rice. By 2 March 2025, 513,000 tonnes of parboiled and atap rice had been procured, which is 79 per cent of the target. By the same date, paddy procurement was 26,511 tonnes, only 7.57 per cent of the target. Meanwhile, imports could not be increased significantly either. After Aman production was damaged by floods in August 2024, the food ministry decided to import 1 million tonnes of rice.

Published Date: October 10, 2025