Whose rice is it anyway?

As many as 155 tonnes of rice seized in the port city while being smuggled out of government depots was packed in jute sacks bearing the insignia of the Directorate General of Food.

The directorate, however, claimed the rice seized from seven trucks was not theirs.

Meanwhile, a Chittagong court yesterday sent the manager of the Halisahar central storage depot (CSD), from where the rice was allegedly stolen, and four truckers to jail in connection with the incident.

In another development, Rapid Action Battalion-7 last evening seized another truck loaded with 13.5 tonnes of rice in 270 sacks from the city. The vehicle was left abandoned in Akbar Shah area.

The question remains: who owns the rice packed in sacks inscribed with the words “For the Directorate General of Food”?