Wholesale and retail rice traders and auto-rice mill owners of Munshiganj are asked to obtain the license from Directorate General of Food by October 30. Otherwise, a drive would be conducted through mobile court, such said District Food Controller of Munshiganj.

Meanwhile, rice traders are in confusion regarding this new instruction. They are not clear why they are to get license newly while they have ‘Food License’ and ‘Trade License’ already. On the other hand, some of them still don’t know the issue regarding licenses.

Pappu Saha, a rice trader of Munshirhat said,  ‘They don’t have a separate license for rice trade but ‘Food license’.

Aynal Haque, owner of ‘Haque Rice Traders’ said, ‘We do not trade without issuing a license. But I do not know whether we are to get license newly or not.’

Kabir Hossain, an auto rice mill owner said, ‘There are 6 rice mills in Munshiganj. However, because of the high price of paddy, production in these mills has stopped now. We have the license already and if government instructs us to get license newly then we will follow the instruction.’

District Food Controller of Munshiganj Md. Abu Bakar said, ‘Very few traders have the license.  If they don’t get license within 30 October then a drive through mobile court will be conducted against them.’

On Monday (2 October), Food Minister Qamrul Islam instructed all rice traders, importers and stockmen to get the obligatory license by October 30, 2017.  Besides, they are asked to report to the local offices of food controller about the amount of stocked rice of 15 days.