The shipment was initially found ‘fit for human consumption’ when samples were drawn soon after landing, but was subsequently found to have ‘quality issues’.

By Subramani Ra Mancombu

A controversy has broken out over Bangladesh’s rejection of an 11,500-tonne consignment of non-basmati parboiled rice from India. The trade sees politics behind the rejection after the Tarique Rehman government came to power in the neighbouring country. 

The consignment that reached the Chittagong port on July 21 ran into quality issues. This was despite samples, which were drawn on July 22 from the shipment that was part of a government-to-government (G2G) agreement, being found to be “fit for human consumption. 

Following the certification, the ship was permitted to offload the consignment. A portion of the shipment was unloaded on July 23 and 24. The offloaded portion was then transported to central storage depots (CSD) in Tejgaon, Halishahar and Dewanhat. Besides, some volume was sent to the Joydebpur local storage depot.

Shipping agent denial

On July 25, officials at Tejgaon and Halishahar reported that the rice was of low quality and unfit for human consumption. The Secretary of the Food Ministry and the Director-General of the Food Department were informed about the quality, local media reported.

However, the shipping agent has denied that the quality of rice was bad. He said it was “a little reddish” in colour. 

Trade sources here wonder how suddenly Bangladesh has problems with Indian rice. “We have been supplying rice for years. Late last year, when Bangladesh turned to Pakistan rice and found it costly, it came back to us. Now, they are playing games,” said a trader.

Only 3,500 t offloaded

Another trader said such “political” games will continue for sometime. “But during an El Nino year, which is now projected to last longer, Bangladesh may have to pay a heavy price for such politics,” he said. 

Traders were unwilling to be quoted given the sensitivity of the issue. 

Reports said only 3,500 tonnes had been offloaded from the ship “MV HT Pioneer,” and the rest had not been permitted to be unloaded. 

“The entire shipment is now being returned to India,” said the first trader, discounting any impact of the rejection of this consignment.

The G2G rice deal was signed after a global tender was floated in 2025. An Indian exporter had sourced the rice from a multinational company’s stocks. 

A third trader said the controversy was sparked off by some agencies that held a monopoly in the Food Department during the Sheikh Hasina government. Opponents of the firm have now joined hands to end the monopoly, and Indian rice was an indirect victim.   

India exported 1.36 million tonnes (mt) of non-basmati rice, most of it parboiled, in the 2025-26 financial year, valued at $545 million, against 0.809 mt, valued at $359 million, in 2024-25. During April-June this fiscal, 0.16 mt of rice valued at $8.19 million has been shipped out. 

Published Date: August 4, 2026