For the first time since gaining independence, a cargo ship from Pakistan transporting rice is scheduled to arrive at Mongla seaport this week.
The vessel, flying the Pakistani flag and carrying 25 metric tonnes (MT) of rice, set sail from Karachi’s Qasim Port a few days ago and is anticipated to arrive at Chittagong Port within the next two to three days.
Sources indicate that after offloading 60% of the rice at Chittagong, the ship will continue its journey to Mongla with the remaining cargo.
A Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement was signed between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the start of last month, facilitating the import of 50 MT of Basmati rice through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).
Under the terms of the agreement, the first shipment of rice is currently on its way to Bangladesh, with the second shipment expected to reach by the end of this month.
Indrajit Sarker, Deputy Controller at the Khulna office of the Controller of Movement and Preservation, confirmed that 40% of the 25 MT of rice will be unloaded at Mongla Port.
Tayebur Rahman, Khulna District Assistant Food Controller (holding additional responsibilities), noted that the central food warehouses in Boyra and Maheshwarpasha currently hold 47,000 MT of rice. He further added that the combined storage capacity of these two facilities is 100,000 metric tonnes.
