India-Bangladesh trade resumes partially, expected to normalize soon

Kolkata: Trade between India and Bangladesh, which has halted since August 5, resumed partially through several land ports in West Bengal on Wednesday, officials said.

Trade, mostly of perishable goods, resumed in land ports at Hili, Changrabandha, Mahadipur, Fulbari, and Gojadanga.

Export from Petrapole, South Asia's largest land port in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, is expected to commence on Thursday, officials said after a meeting between the land port authorities of the two countries.

Sajedur Rahman, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Staff Association, said, "A meeting was held between two land ports and we expect that trade will resume at 6 am tomorrow."

Benapole is located on the Bangladesh side of Petrapole border in West Bengal.

The Director General of the Border Security Force visited Petrapole on Tuesday to review the situation along the international boundary amid the crisis in Bangladesh.

"Some cargo movement has started via Ghojadanga for the Bangladeshi side. This is possible as the situation in Bhomra, the neighbouring country's counterpart to Ghojadanga, remains stable," said Joydev Sarkar, an office-bearer of the Carrying & Forwarding Agents Welfare Association.

Key commodities like black stone, chillies, turmeric, and wheat bran are exported to Bangladesh from the North 24 Parganas district land port.

Another trader noted that trucks in Malda's Mahadipur are also being prepared for exporting cargo.

A C&F agent association official in Bangladesh's Benapole port said trade has not yet resumed from Petrapole border.

West Bengal Exporters Coordination Committee secretary Ujjal Saha said empty trucks that had gone to Bangladesh before the disturbances to unload exported goods are returning.

"There have been reports of some exports of perishable cargo on Wednesday from land ports like Hili, Changrabandha, Mahadipur, Fulbari, and Gojadanga. Businessmen from both sides have requested their respective authorities to prevent losses," he said, adding that he expects the export situation to improve from Thursday.

India remains concerned about the law and order situation in Bangladesh and reports of attacks on minorities and security had been beefed up in all the land borders with the neighbour.

Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in South Asia, and India is the second-largest trade partner of its neighbour in Asia.

India's exports to Bangladesh dipped to $11 billion in 2023-24 from $12.21 billion in 2022-23. Imports also declined to $1.84 billion in the last fiscal from $2 billion in 2022-23.

India's main exports to Bangladesh include vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, confectionery, refined petroleum oil, chemicals, cotton, iron and steel, and vehicles.

In contrast, Bangladesh's exports to India are concentrated in a few categories, with textiles and garments comprising 56 per cent of their shipments.