The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) has requested the government to temporarily withdraw import duty on rice to increase the supply and, in turn, contain the price of this staple food in the local markets.

The government will re-impose 28 percent duty on import of rice to protect the growers as the country got a bumper paddy production in the boro season, said Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday.

The government has decided to reduce the duty on rice imports by more than half the existing rate to encourage the private sector to