Bangladesh plans to import 1m tonnes of wheat from India

Bangladesh has a plan to import up to one million (10 lakh) tonnes of wheat from India under government to government contract and necessary steps already have been taken by the concerned food ministry, reports news agency BSS.

“Bangladesh has sent an offer letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in India for making a negotiation with the Indian government to import as much as 10 lakh tonnes wheat,” Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder told the news agency on Tuesday night.

After receiving the letter from Indian companies, he said, “We are trying to make correspondence with seven to eight Indian Wheat export companies and to seek clearance from the Indian government.”

After the clearance from the Indian government, the negotiation on fixing import price will be held with the Indian government, he added.

The Food Minister further said although Bangladesh has a verbal agreement with India to import on an estimated amount of 10 lakh tonnes of wheat, but “now we have sent our total import demand officially”.

Earlier, a tender has been completed with the neighboring India to import around 300,000 tonnes of wheat -- where 150,000 tonnes are on unloading process at the port and import of remaining 150,000 tonnes are in pipeline.

Bangladesh usually imports wheat from Russia, but the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has compelled it to import wheat from India.

Country’s annual wheat demand stands at 7.5 million (75 lakh) tonnes where 1.1 million (11 lakh) tonnes are produced locally and the rest 6.4 million (64 lakh) tonnes usually come from Russia, Ukraine, India and Canada.

Of the total wheat Bangladesh imports, Russia and Ukraine meets 45 per cent of the demand which is now being suspended due to war.

After removing US embargo on dollar, Russia also has sent offer letter to Bangladesh for wheat export which was suspended due to US embargo on export and import goods from there since Russia and Ukraine war.