Govt wants to complete rice procurement before nat’l polls: Food adviser

Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder on Thursday said the government wants to complete the rice and paddy procurement across the country before the upcoming elections slated for February next, reports BSS.

"Bangladesh is now self-sufficient in food, and the government maintains a record stock. The current administration is committed to sustaining this progress." he told reporters after inaugurating the rice procurement campaign at the Food Ministry's conference room at the secretariat.

Majumder said that the current government had built up adequate reserves to ensure the country's food security immediately after taking office, and that's why the prices of paddy and rice are at a tolerable level.

He said, "The Aman procurement program is starting from today (Thursday). It will continue till February 28, 2026. This time, the target for paddy and rice procurement across the country is seven lakh tonnes. Out of this, 50,000 tonnes of paddy, 50,000 tonnes of Atap rice and 600,000 tonnes of parboiled rice will be procured. Those will be purchased directly from the farmers."

The Food Adviser said that paddy will be purchased directly from farmers at Taka 39 per kg, boiled rice at Taka 50 per kg, and at Taka 49 per kg of Atap rice.

Earlier, he said, food assistance was provided to 5 million families under the food-friendly program, but now it has been increased to 5.5 million where previously it was provided for 5 months, now it has been provided for 6 months.