POBNEWS24,Dhaka, Jan 17 , 2022: Unlike Benapole, India has stopped exporting goods through the Indian port of Petrapole. Traders stopped imports from India on Monday (January 18th) morning. However, Bangladesh has continued to export goods to India.
The traders said the decision was taken because the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) did not allow cardless transport and C&F members to enter the port.
Earlier, no freight truck from India entered Benapole port from 8am to 4pm last Saturday (January 15) with the same demand. The traders have expressed their displeasure over the suspension of exports due to various problems.
Buddhadev Biswas, joint secretary of Bangaon Goods Transport Association, said, “We have been doing import-export work at Petrapole port for so long with the identity card of the organization.” The Petrapole BSF on Saturday (January 15th) said that no one would be allowed to enter the port area without a joint signature of Indian Customs, Port, C&F Agent Staff and Transport Association. Due to this, import and export is closed for eight hours on Saturday. After discussion in a meeting, import-export was resumed. We ask for time but they give time till today Monday (January 16). It is also difficult to collect identity cards from four companies in two days. That is why there is no other way but to stop exporting goods to Bangladesh. Talking to everyone, the export has been stopped.
Sajedur Rahman, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Staff Association, said that suddenly BSF members engaged in security at the port of Petrapole decided that no Indian transport without cards and C&F staff would enter the port. Import-export activities from India are closed for eight hours on Saturday due to disruption of paperwork. On Monday, Indian transport workers stopped exporting again with the same demand.
Every day 300 trucks of various goods are imported from India and 150 trucks of goods are exported to India. Every day the government earns 20 to 35 crore rupees from imported goods. About 600 passengers travel daily.
Abdul Jalil, Deputy Director, Benapole Land Port Authority, said, “This is an internal matter of India. We have no hands here. Even after that, we have been maintaining contact with Indian ports to keep imports and exports active.
