Bangladesh has a plan to import up to 10 lakh tonnes of wheat from India under government to government contract and necessary steps already have been taken by the food ministry.
"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 of wheat," Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder told BSS on Tuesday.
After receiving the letter from Indian national companies, he said, "We are trying to make correspondence with seven to eight Indian wheat export companies and seek clearance from the Indian government."
After the clearance, negotiation on fixing import price will be held with the Indian government for materialising the import arrangement, he said.
“Although we have a verbal agreement with India to import an estimated amount of 10 lakh tonnes of wheat, but now we have sent our total import demand officially.”
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Earlier, a tender has been completed with the neighbouring India to import around 3 lakh tonnes of wheat — where 1.50 lakh tonnes are on unloading process at the port and import of remaining 1.50 lakh tonnes are in pipeline.
He said, “Bangladesh usually imports wheat from Russia, but the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has compelled us to import wheat from India.”
The country's annual wheat demand stands at 75 lakh tonnes where 11 lakh tonnes produced in locally and the rest 64 lakh tonnes usually come from Russia, Ukraine, India and Canada.
Russia and Ukraine meet 45 per cent of wheat import demand which is now being suspended due to war.
