Bangladesh ? India waived a ban on rice exports to Bangladesh and offered to help rebuild 10 villages worst hit by a recent cyclone that devastated crops and property, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Saturday during a visit to the country.

India has already pledged millions of dollars in aid for the cyclone-hit nation.

Mukherjee said India was willing to “adopt” 10 coastal villages for rehabilitation and would allow the sale of an additional 500,000 tons of rice to Bangladesh.

India imposed a ban on all rice exports to ensure domestic needs were fulfilled following crop damage caused by summer floods. But even before the cyclone, New Delhi eased that ban and agreed to sell 50,000 tons of rice to Bangladesh, which also suffered heavy crop losses in the regional floods.