Imports up 17pc during July-Oct

Imports increased by about 17 per cent to US$ 5,930 million during the first four months of the current fiscal year (FY) comparing that of the same period in the last FY. Letters of credit (L/Cs) opened during the July-October period for imports also increased by more than 20 per cent to $6,626 million, according to provisional figures released by Bangladesh Bank Thursday. In the month of October last, imports worth $1,439 million already entered into the country while goods and commodities worth $1,492 million remained in the pipeline. Rice worth $51 million, wheat $63 million, milk food $11 million, edible oil $76 million, pulses $32 million and onion $13 million were already imported while an increased amount of these items remained in the import pipeline. — UNB