Bangladesh government on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan to import rice under the government-to-government management to keep the price of rice under control and to meet the local demand.
The MoU was signed between the Directorate General of Food (DG Food) and Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) at the conference room of the Ministry of Food in Dhaka.
Trading Corporation of Pakistan Chairman Sayed Rafeo Bashir Shah and Director General of the Directorate General of Food Md Abdul Khaleque signed the agreement from both their respective sides.
Food Secretary Md Masudul Hasan, Pakistan's Commerce Ministry's Special Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mangnejo, Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka Syed Ahmed Maroof and high officials from both sides were also present during the programme.
According to the Food Ministry, the MoU is expected to help open a new horizon to stabilise the country's rice market, strengthen the bilateral relationship and expand trade and economy between the two countries.
The Food Ministry and Commerce Ministry sources said that under the agreement, Bangladesh will import 50,000 tonnes of rice initially from Pakistan. Gradually, two lakh tonnes more rice would also be imported from the country.
