Bangladesh’s government has approved imports of 218,484 metric tonnes of green chillies to help maintain normal supplies in the domestic market during fiscal year 2026-27. However, only 26.5 metric tonnes had actually entered the country by August 3, revealing a vast gap between authorised volumes and completed imports so far. Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman disclosed the figures during a weekly briefing held at the Press Information Department’s conference room on Tuesday.
He said authorities issued 505 import permits for green chillies during the current fiscal year, covering the full approved quantity of 218,484 metric tonnes nationwide. The imported amount represented about 0.012 percent of the authorised volume, leaving roughly 218,457.5 metric tonnes still unused under the permits by August 3 overall. On average, each green chilli permit corresponded to approximately 432.6 metric tonnes, although the article did not specify how much individual importers had brought into Bangladesh.
The government’s decision focused on keeping market supply normal, while the limited arrivals showed that approval alone had not produced substantial imports immediately after issuance. The report did not identify the source countries, ports of entry, import costs, retail prices, or reasons behind the extremely low arrival volume reported nationally.
It also did not state whether additional green chilli shipments were already in transit or expected to arrive before the current permits expire later on. The available data therefore presents a clear snapshot of approved capacity and realised imports, without offering forecasts about future deliveries or market price movements yet.
During the same briefing, the adviser also shared tomato import figures for fiscal year 2026-27, offering a direct comparison between approvals and actual arrivals nationwide. Authorities issued 85 import permits for tomatoes, allowing traders to bring in as much as 60,290 metric tonnes under those approvals this fiscal year alone. By August 3, actual tomato imports reached 235.204 metric tonnes, equal to about 0.39 percent of the total quantity covered by issued permits so far. That left approximately 60,054.796 metric tonnes of approved tomato import capacity unused, based on the figures presented during the government briefing at the department Tuesday.
Averaged across all 85 permits, the approved tomato volume was about 709.3 metric tonnes per permit, though actual imports were far below that theoretical level overall. Combined, the government had authorised 278,774 metric tonnes of green chillies and tomatoes through 590 permits during fiscal year 2026-27 as of the reporting date. Actual arrivals of the two commodities totalled 261.704 metric tonnes by August 3, a tiny fraction of the combined approved import volume announced publicly Tuesday. Green chillies accounted for most of the authorised quantity, while tomatoes made up nearly all of the produce that had physically entered Bangladesh by then.
The figures highlight that government permission created significant room for imports, but the realised flow remained minimal for both commodities by the stated reporting date. The report confined itself to permit totals and import volumes, without explaining commercial decisions, logistical conditions, supplier availability, or future government measures regarding either product.