BD PM offered to supply rice to NE India: Tripura minister

Bangladesh is ready to supply rice to food-starved northeastern Indian states and can allow all its ports to ferry goods bound for those regions, a Tripura minister says.

 "(Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) has proposed to supply rice to Tripura and other northeastern states which will reduce the cost for carrying food grains to the region from far-off states like Punjab or Andhra Pradesh," Tripura's Industries and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty said on Friday, reports bdnews24.com.

He referred to his meeting with Hasina recently in Dhaka.

Chakraborty was a member of Indian delegation led by India's Minister of State for External Affairs General (retd) VK Singh that visited Bangladesh for a business conclave earlier this week.

He said: "After attending the one-day conclave on India-Bangladesh trade and improving connectivity between the two countries, the Indian delegation met Bangladesh prime minister.

"During the meeting Madam Hasina proposed to supply rice to Tripura and other northeastern states to meet their scarcities."

"(She) categorically said that the Bangladesh government can allow all its ports including sea ports in "mutual interest" to transport goods from any part of India to northeastern region via her country," the Tripura minister Chakraborty added.