COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh – Bangladesh resumed rice imports from Myanmar on November 12 after a one-and-a-half-year break in a move designed to bring down the soaring prices of the staple on the domestic market.

Bangladesh assistant collector of the Customs and VAT Office Sikder Anwarul Islam said 7400 kilograms of rice in 148 sacks were released on the first day through the land port at Teknaf on the Myanmar border.

“The importers in the country have shown interest in importing rice as the government made rice import duty-free,” said one Bangladeshi official.

Bangladesh’s caretaker government has lifted import duties on nine essential commodities, including rice, wheat, pulses, oils and milk, in the wake of unprecedented price increases, blamed on short supply as well as market manipulation.

Recent restrictions on rice exports from India have also contributed to the upturn of the market, press reports said.

Bangladeshi importers at Cox’s Bazar said huge quantities of rice would likely be imported from Myanmar.