Bangladesh Receives Final Consignment of Rice from India

The final consignment of a major rice import package from India has successfully docked at Mongla Port in Bagerhat. Carrying 5,736.500 metric tonnes of rice, the Vietnamese-flagged vessel, MV Puthan-36, anchored at the port on Friday evening. The Harbour Department of the Mongla Port Authority confirmed the arrival, marking the completion of the third package under a bilateral import agreement.

According to Assistant Food Controller for the port area, Abdus Sobahan, this shipment concludes the delivery of a 50,000-metric-tonne rice contract. On Saturday morning, officials began collecting samples for mandatory physical inspections and quality testing. The offloading of the cargo is scheduled to commence on Sunday afternoon, following standard bureaucratic clearance.

This procurement was initiated under an international open tender, with the formal contract signed on 15 January. Bangladesh has historically relied on strategic grain imports from neighbouring India to bolster its state reserves, stabilise domestic market prices, and secure food distribution networks during periods of seasonal transition.

To ensure efficient logistical distribution across the country, the government structured the arrival of the grain through its two primary maritime gateways. Under the terms of the open tender, 40 per cent of the total imported rice was designated for offloading at Mongla Port, whilst the remaining 60 per cent was routed through Chittagong Port.

The operation has run full circle, as the very first consignment under this agreement arrived at Mongla Port on 20 January, transported by the exact same vessel, MV Puthan-36. Over the course of the project, a total of 10 vessels have sequentially delivered the designated grain quotas to Mongla. Local authorities noted that as soon as the grain is discharged from the ships, it is immediately dispatched via inland waterways to various regional government grain depots, ensuring that essential food supplies reach communities across the country without unnecessary delay.