Trade Suspended through Benapole Port

Trade between neighbors India and Bangladesh has been fully cut off from Monday via the port of Benapole due to the activity of the Trinamool Congress, the governing party in the West Bengal state, in Bangaon, India.

As a consequence, perishable items stuck on both sides are running dry.

After a 41-day long shutdown due to coronavirus, trade between the two countries resumed at noon on Thursday via the port of Benapol, following an agreement between the governments of India and Bangladesh.

In the last two days, 15 trucks of jute seeds, mesta seeds, and maize seeds were imported from India.

Besides, there are many daily necessary things in the line.

Benapole Customs House works with a revenue target of Tk 25 crore per day.

The government has so far incurred the loss of Tk 1,000 crore due to the suspension of import and export on account of the pandemic.

Matiar Rahman, director of the Indian-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said former Bangaon North MLA Gopal Seth and Bangaon Municipal Council Mayor Shankar Adhy Daku opposed the export of products by stopping trucks from the Kalitala parking lot.

At present, 1,963 trucks loaded with various goods are parked in the Kalitala parking lot. From these trucks, Bangaon Municipality collects parking charges at the rate of Tk 50 per day for small vehicles, Tk 80 for six-wheeler, Tk 120 for 10-wheelers, and Tk 160 for trailers.

Sajedur Rahman, Secretary-General of the Benapole C&F Agent Workers Group, said that the two governments and customs had not stopped trade. Former Trinamool Congress MLAs from Bangaon North Gopal Seth and Municipal Mayor Shankar Adhy Daku took the citizens to the streets and avoided exporting commodities to Bangladesh, claiming that the corona might spread by truck drivers.

Source: UNB