CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh Shipping Corporation’s (BSC) cargo ship MV Banglar Kakoli left Chittagong port Saturday noon for Colombo of Sri Lanka with 12,000 tons rice.

This is the biggest ever consignment of rice that exported by Bangladesh as the government decided to sell rice abroad after attaining self-sufficiency in crops production and ensuring sufficient food reserve for people.

Director General of Food Directorate M Sarwar Khan was present at the port while rice-laden ship MV Banglar Kakoli left the shore at 1:50pm.

Jahirul Islam of food directorate of Chittagong region told Banglanews that the loading of 12,000 tons of rice was complete on Friday.

He further said loading of rice started on December 17.

In the next consignment, another ship of BSC will go to Colombo with 12,000 tons of rice, Jahirul Islam added.

Earlier, Bangladesh exported a limited quantity of fragrant rice but this time the volume of export is huge.

Food ministry sources said the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka recently met Bangladesh foreign ministry officials and gave proposals for purchasing rice from Bangladesh at G2G level.

In this context, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, in the ‘Fourth Agro Expo’ held on September 17, announced to export from 50,000 to 100,000 tons rice to the country.

After getting no objections from commerce and agriculture ministries, the cabinet committee gave approval to export rice. Currently, Sri Lanka is importing 25,000 tons of rice as there might be problem in unloading the rice in the monsoon.

Ministry sources further said that the amount of reserved rice in government godowns was 11 lakh tons till August of 2014 which is 250,000 lakh tons more than that of previous year.

Considering the reserve position, the food ministry opined that from 50,000 to 100,000 tons of rice can be exported.

Later on December 3, Director General of Food Directorate Md. Sarwar Khan and Nalin Fernando, chairman of Lanka Sathosha Limited, signed an agreement on behalf of the governments of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in this regard. Each ton of rice was priced at $450.

After signing of the agreement, food minister advocate Quamrul Islam said that the current food reserve in the country is 12 lakh tons which is more 250,000 tons than that of the past year.

“Bangladesh is ready to export about 100,000 tons of rice at the demand of any country,” he added.

According to food ministry sources, reserve of food in the country till December 22 was 12.82 lakh tons. Of the total reserve, 11.51 tons are rice and the rest 1.33 lakh tons are wheat. Moreover, 0.33 lakh tons of food grain is awaiting unloading at Chittagong port.

** Bangladesh exports 12000T rice to Sri Lanka

BDST: 1728 HRS, DEC 27, 2014