There are eye-catching names and brands of rice available in the market. But these rice products are tasteless. They do not even smell like before. There are complaints that most brands of rice spoil or become soggy within 2/3 hours of cooking. With the high price of rice, the sellers do not get any response to these complaints from the buyers. These complaints were found by visiting some rice markets in the capital and talking to the buyers.
It is known that the high-priced Miniket and Nazir Shail rice have always been and still are in high demand among the upper middle-class families in the capital. This narrow type of rice is usually crispy. But there is no end to the complaints about these two brands of rice.
Buyers say that the rice of this type is not as thin as the miniket rice looks. In addition, this type of rice no longer has any smell. Even after buying it at a higher price, buyers cannot find any of its features. Many people think that the taste of the current miniket rice is very similar to that of Eri rice. The rice becomes soggy within 2/3 hours of cooking.
On the other hand, Nazir Shail rice has always been appreciated by upper-middle class families. That is why, despite its high price, there has been no objection from buyers about this rice. Recently, buyers have also been complaining about Nazir Shail. They say that the color of the current Nazir Shail rice is dark, not as white as before. Rather, it emits a bad smell within 2/3 hours of cooking and becomes unfit for consumption. That is, the rice is spoiled.
Although rice is available in the market under various names and brands, Aush, Aman, Iri, and Boro rice are no longer commonly seen. However, even though Aush-Aman rice is sold in some supermarkets, the price is over 100 taka per kg. The most common varieties available in the market are Miniket, Nazir Shail, Paizam, and BR 28. There are various controversies regarding the production of these varieties of rice. The government has been saying for a long time that there is no rice variety called Miniket in the country. Miniket is actually Iri rice, which is machine-cut and thinned to increase the interest of buyers and is sold at a higher price.
On the other hand, there are many rumors about the rice being sold in the capital and remote areas of the country under the name Nazir Shail.
It is not clear what the real variety of this rice is. Even the sellers cannot give a correct answer. It is alleged that this rice is in high demand among buyers due to its thin, small and white grains. Therefore, various types of rice are cut and cut in a machine to make it attractive by trapping it with high prices. This adulterated rice is sold at a high price under the name Nazir Shail.
There are complaints about the quality and nutritional deficiencies of various polished rice products in the market, including Miniket. Since there is no variety of rice called Miniket, this rice is prepared by milling other low-cost varieties of rice in a machine. The more polished the rice, the higher the price. Again, the price is even higher if it is packaged. Basically, the whole matter is due to the manipulation of millers and marketing companies, some say.
The government’s survey report on Miniket rice says that Miniket is actually a brand name. Millers are producing and marketing this brand of rice through polish, fine polish, and medium polish.
According to sources in the Ministry of Food, due to widespread complaints from buyers about different varieties and names of rice and their prices, the government has issued instructions that the variety, name, production date and price of rice must be written on each sack made for sale. It is also mentioned that violating this instruction is a punishable offense.
The directive issued by the Ministry of Food on February 21, 2024, states that rice produced from the same variety of rice is being sold in the market under different names and prices. This is harming and deceiving consumers. Therefore, from now on, rice bags will have to be released in the market with the variety of rice and the mill gate price written on them. At the same time, the date of production and the name of the manufacturer,
The district and upazila of the manufacturer must be mentioned. There must also be information about the weight.
The directive, signed by the then Secretary of the Food Ministry, Ismail Hossain, further stated that when the price of rice reaches an unreasonable level or increases suddenly, millers, wholesalers, and retailers are blaming each other. As a result, consumers are facing difficulties in buying the variety of paddy and rice of their choice at a fair price. In many cases, they are also suffering financially.
In order to overcome this situation, in order to ensure that rice is marketed in the name of paddy to keep the market price of rice at a tolerable and reasonable level and to facilitate monitoring of related activities, several issues have been specified in the instructions. These include: Before rice millers supply rice from the warehouse for commercial purposes, they must mention the name of the producing mill, the name of the district and upazila, the date of production, the mill gate price and the variety of paddy and rice on the rice sacks. These information must be written in ink on the sacks.
The same guidelines will have to be followed in the case of corporate organizations. In this case, the organization can mention the maximum retail price in addition to the millgate price if it wishes.
It has been found that even after the government issued this directive, it could not be implemented 100% because from the beginning, rice mill owners were objecting to it by raising various complaints. Later, due to the anti-quota movement and the change of government, the directive was completely ignored. As a result, the charisma of the mill owners started again. Rice produced from the same variety of rice under different names started being marketed under different names. This rice is now being sold in the market.
When asked about this, Nizam Uddin, general secretary of Badamtoli-Babu Bazar Rice Merchants Association, told the Bangla Tribune, “There is no point in telling us these allegations. Because we do not produce rice filled in sacks. We only sell the rice produced and packed in sacks by millers at a certain commission.”
When asked about the complaint, Joypurhat rice trader and general secretary of Bangladesh Auto Major Hosking Mills Owners Association, Layek Ali, said, “Due to weather-related defects, cooked rice may spoil or even smell. We are not responsible for this.” He said, “There is no exception in writing on the sack the type of rice that is produced.”
Food Advisor Ali Imam Majumder said, “If any complaint is received about the name of the rice variety and rice written on the bag, action will definitely be taken. The ministry will also conduct a drive. The government will take all steps against cheating the common people about rice.”
