Bangladesh is planning to import one million tonnes of wheat from India | NewsRme

Bangladesh plans to import up to one million tonnes of wheat from India via a government-to-government (G2G) contract, and the food ministry has already begun the appropriate preparations, according to BSS.

"Bangladesh has written an offer letter to the Bangladesh High Commission in India in order to negotiate with the Indian government for the import of up to 10 lakh tonnes wheat," Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said.

"We are attempting to create communication with seven to eight Indian Wheat export firms and request authorization from the Indian government," he added after receiving the letter from Indian national companies.

Following permission from the Indian government, he added, negotiations on setting import prices would be made with the Indian government in order to put these import agreements into effect.

We have a verbal agreement with India to buy an estimated 10 lakh tonnes of wheat, but we have now formally communicated our whole import requirement.

Previously, a deal was finalized with India to import around 3 lakh tonnes of wheat, of which 1.50 lakh tonnes are now being unloaded at the port and the remaining 1.50 lakh tonnes are in the pipeline.

Bangladesh generally buys wheat from Russia, but due to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, Bangladesh has been forced to acquire wheat from India.

The country's yearly wheat need is 75 lakh tonnes, with 11 lakh tonnes produced domestically and the rest coming from Russia, Ukraine, India, and Canada.

Russia and Ukraine account for 45 percent of Bangladesh's total wheat imports, which are now on hold owing to the conflict.

Following the lifting of the US dollar embargo, Russia has submitted an offer letter to Bangladesh for wheat exports, which had been halted due to the US prohibition on export import commodities from outside since the Russia-Ukraine conflict.