To meet the shortage of rice production, the government allowed the private sector to import 1.675 million tons of rice. To encourage rice imports, customs duties were also waived. In order for traders to import rice, the import permit period was extended four times. However, despite the duty exemption and extension of the period, traders did not import 68 percent of the rice allowed.
After the rice import deadline passed, the price of coarse rice in the market increased again. According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh-TCB, the price of coarse rice increased by 2 percent in a week. The price of coarse rice has increased from 50-55 taka to 50-57 taka.
The US Department of Agriculture said in a report on March 31 that the price of all types of rice increased by a record amount in 2025. Rice prices may decrease slightly when the Boro harvest is marketed next May. However, the agency has predicted that rice prices may increase again from August due to increased production costs.
Secretary of the Food Ministry Md. Masudul Hasan recently told Prothom Alo that the government had allowed the private sector to import rice to keep the price of rice affordable. It is true that traders did not import much. However, the rice imported so far by the government and private sectors has alleviated the panic about rice. The price of coarse to medium-sized rice in the market has stabilized.
