The government is set to import rice from Myanmar and India as part of its efforts to bring down the high price of the staple, replenish stocks and ensure distribution under social safety net schemes.

Under the plan, 1 lakh tonne of white rice will be imported from Myanmar at $515 per tonne and 50,000 tonnes of basmati boiled rice from India at $467.7 per tonne.

The proposals were approved yesterday by the cabinet committee on public purchase chaired by Salehuddin Ahmed, finance adviser to the interim government.

Politics would not come in the way of trade and commercial dealings with India, Ahmed told the media after the meeting.

"We will import from those who give us items at competitive prices, in a speedy manner and with due quality -- it can be India or any other country. We are talking with India, Myanmar and even with Vietnam," he added.

Earlier, the government had allowed the import of 1 lakh tonnes of boiled rice from India under open tender.

The current rice stock is below the 10.5 lakh tonne recommended by experts for enabling market interventions by the government to foil price manipulation by private millers and traders.

Public food stocks stood at 10.90 lakh tonnes, which includes 6.69 lakh tonnes of rice, on December 4.

Meanwhile, food ministry officials said they have initiated efforts for both government-to-government arrangements and open tenders.

Bangladesh has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam and Myanmar for rice imports and the deals are valid until 2027, they said.

In addition, the advisory committee on government purchases recently eased public procurement rules for rice imports through open tender, bringing down the time needed to 15 days from 42 days.

The advisory committee on economic affairs has also decided, in principle, that the government would import 5 lakh tonnes of rice.

Estimates by the Department of Agricultural Extension show that Aman acreage declined to 57.35 lakh hectares this season from 57.5 lakh hectares in the previous one.

The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission in a report on October 29 cited the DAE estimate and said the recent floods had caused a production loss of 8.39 lakh tonnes.