Chittagong, Bangladesh: Burmese rice imports to Bangladesh have been stopped at Chittagong Port, since January 12, on account of there being rotten rice in the cargo ship, while unloading it, according to sources from Chittagong Port.
A ship with about 2,000 MT of rice arrived at Chittagong Port on January 12, and unloading was on till January 18, at the jetty of shed No. 8. Acting on information, a group of custom officials went to the port and checked the ship, while rice was being unloaded. The officials found that about 92.80 MT of rice was rotten.
As a result, the authorities concerned of the port stopped the remaining rice from being unloaded from the ship on January 18. The rice was imported to Bangladesh by Titan-No.7 ship through rice U.K.M food product Company of Khatonkonj of Chittagong.
When Burmese rice comes into the local markets of Chittagong district, the price of rice goes down and people are happy. Now, the customs of Chittagong Port ordered the importers not to sell rice in local markets that would harm the people. "Maybe prices can rise," a whole seller from Khatongonj of Chittagong said.
Within two days, about 1905 MT of rice had already been unloaded from the ship and about 95 MT still remained on the ship.
Rice samples of the rotten rice had been sent to Dhaka for laboratory tests. The ship will be released after the samples of rice come from the Bangladesh Quality Control and Research Centre, sources said.
On January 18, the customs department of the port told the importers that the unloaded rice could not be sold in the market until further notice was issued, the customs department said.
Liyakat Ali, a staff of A.R.Tading, was told by the Clearing and Forwarding (CNF) Agent from Agarabat of Chittagong that the rice had rotten after leakage of water from the side of the cargo ship.
Md. Shahidul Islam, a staff of Chittagong port said that that the upper side of the rice was good, but, they did not get an opportunity to check the rice as there were thousands of rice sacks.
