The price of lentil is expected to come down within a few days as consignments of cheaper pulses from Nepal were scheduled to reach the Radhlkapur border yesterday, reports UNB

Some 5,500 tons of lentil are being imported from the Himalayan Kingdom by state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) after its price shot up abnormally In the country during the post flood period.

TCB Chairman Shoaib Ahmed said price of lentil has already shown a down ward trend with the release of some 320 tons of Nepalese lentil in the market that encouraged the traders to offload their stocks.

Price of lentil or masur dal rocketed to Tk 46 to Tk 48 per kg on the heels of the recent flood, but presently came down to Tk 36 to Tk 38 in retail markets in Dhaka.

"The aim of TCB is to bring down the price of lentil. If needed, it will sell out the (imported) lentil at a loss." he said, indicating that the corporation might lower the price further.

Presently, the TCB's price of imported Nepalese lentil is Tk 34 per kg from its delivery godowns at Dhaka. Chittagong. Khulna. Rajshahi. Barisal. Sylhet and Bogra.

"This is not the final price. We may lower it down after reviewing the market situa-tioii."' Ahmed said, adding

that 5.250 tons of lentil were scheduled to reach at Radhikapur border Friday as the flood water has receded from railway tracks in India.

He said that prices of lentil shot up in International markets after India. Pakistan and Myanmar — the three major growers — announced poor production this year. All of them also restricted export of the item.

Besides the Nepalese lentil. TCB is also negotiating import of another 5.000 tons from Turkey. There will be no shortage of lentil in Bangladesh after two/three months. Ahmed hoped.