Dhaka, Sept. 27 -- The lone local hard-rock mine in northern Dinajpur district is struggling to lure potential buyers, even if the domestic demand for the mineral has skyrocketed.

Maddhapara Granite Mining Company Ltd (MGMCL) is toiling to sell 1.6 million tonnes of stone annually as Bangladesh imports more than 20 million tonnes.

Its high-grade granite is in stock, but buyers opt for 'lower-grade' stone imports preferably from India, Bhutan, Vietnam and Dubai, industry insiders alleged.

Lowering down the prices of stones of varied sizes by the state entity several months back also 'failed' to lure buyers to pick state-owned stones.

Bangladesh imported around 21 million tonnes in fiscal year 2018-19, up 46 per cent from the previous y...