A consignment of 24, 690 metric tonnes (MT) of parboiled rice arrived at Chattogram Port from India on Thursday morning.
Joint Secretary to the Ministry of Food Md Lutfor Rahman said Indian vessel ‘MV.TANAIS DREAM’ carrying the rice left Kakinada sea port of Andhra Pradesh on December 22 and anchored at outer anchorage of the Chattogram port on Wednesday.
It finally anchored at the Jetty No-11 of the port early Thursday, he said.
He said it would take eight days to unload the rice consignment from the vessel.
He said efforts were underway to import more rice from Myanmar, Vietnam and Pakistan to increase stock of rice.
The government will import 50, 000 metric tonnes (MT) of rice from India in the first phase under a Government to Government (G to G) contract.
Md Akbar Ali, chief executive officer of importer farm ‘Seven Sea Shipping’, said three metric tonnes of rice would be unloaded from the vessel per day.
After the physical test the consignment will be released soon, he added.