Jatiya Party Acting Chairman GM Quader today criticised the government for its plan of exporting rice and said it will have to pay much if it exports food crops.

“If the government export rice now, it will face a serious crisis in purchasing the rice from the market despite paying the double price during any natural disaster,” Quader said at the press conference at party President HM Ershad’s Banani office in Dhaka.

Food Minister Abdur Razzak, addressing a press conference at his secretariat office on Tuesday, said having a surplus after meeting the local demands, the government is mulling to export five to 10 lack metric tons rice.

Rejecting the government’s plan, GM Quader, also a former commerce minister, said, “Whether there is any surplus of rice, it will be a sensitive decision to export the rice now. And the country will have to pay a price if it faces any natural disaster.”

“We are not telling that the government should stop its move, but stressing the need for more discussion and examination before taking such risky step,” the JP leader said.