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 concerned 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 wheat,” said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder exclusively to BSS on Tuesday night.

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 to seek clearance from the Indian government.”

After the clearance from the Indian government, then negotiation on fixing import price will be held with the Indian government for materializing these import arrangement, he said.

Although we have a verbal agreement with India to import on an estimated amount of 10 lakh tonnes of wheat, but now we have sent our total import demand officially.

Earlier, a tender has been completed with the neighboring 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.

Bangladesh usually imports wheat from Russia, but the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has compelled us to import wheat from India.

Country’s annual wheat demand stands at 75 lakh tonnes where 11 lakh tonnes produced in locally and the rest 64 lakh tonnes are usually comes from Russia, Ukraine, India and Canada.

Of the total wheat import of Bangladesh, Russia and Ukraine meets 45 percent of wheat import demand which is now being suspended due to war.

After removing US embargo on dollar, Russia also has sent offer letter to Bangladesh for wheat export which was suspended due to US embargo on export import goods from abroad since Russia and Ukraine war.