India to donate grains and milk to Bangladesh

DHAKA (Reuters) - India will donate 50,000 tonnes of rice and wheat to Bangladesh, an Indian high commission official said on Monday.

Indian External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee conveyed the decision in a letter to Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, the official said.

A Bangladesh foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that India would send 40,000 tonnes of rice, 10,000 tonnes of wheat and 1,000 tonnes of milk powder soon.

Floods have swept half of Bangladesh, killing over 160 people since June and leaving millions marooned.

Bangladesh imports around three million tonnes of grains each year to feed its more than 140 million people and for emergency.