TDS Desk

Import and export through four customs stations between Bangladesh and India remains shut due to demonstrations on the border.

However, trade at the country’s main land ports remains almost normal. Passenger movement between the two countries through the land ports significantly decreased as India suspended issuance of visas due to the changed political situation after 5 August.

The closed customs stations are: Chatlapur and Batuli in Moulvibazar, and Zakiganj and Sheola in Sylhet.

Import and export activities have been suspended at Chatlapur since 27 November and at Batuli since 28 November. Zakiganj and Sheola have been shut down since last Monday.

Meanwhile, imports from India have decreased through the land ports since 5 August though exports from Bangladesh to India have slightly increased.

This picture was found by comparing the import and export figures at the country’s nine land ports for the last four months of this year (August to November) with the same period last year.

Bangladesh has 22 declared land ports for trade with India, of which 16 are operational. Currently, 11 of these land ports are active, while the remaining five have had import and export activities suspended at different times.

Some of these ports only handled imports, while others only handled exported goods.

Moreover, there are nearly 50 customs stations through which trade between the two countries is conducted.

An analysis of data from customs at nine land ports revealed that 774.3 million tonnes of goods were imported through these ports in the last four months of the last year.

This year, the volume has dropped to 591.1 million tonnes. From August to November this year, 1766.7 million tonnes of goods were exported, compared to 289.4 million tonnes in the same period last year.

Between August and November this year, 892,117 people passed through the immigration at the nine land ports. In the same period last year, the number of travelers was 1,213,915. These land ports include Akhaura, Banglabandha, Hili, Burimari, Darshana, Bilonia, Nakugaon, Benapole, and Bhomra.

FOUR CUSTOMS STATIONS COME TO A HALT AMID PROTEST

The Chatlapur and Batuli customs stations are next to the Tripura state of India. Speaking to the relevant officials of the port, it has been learnt that the local pro-Hindu organisations have been demonstrating in Kailashahar of Tripura. It was them who blocked the roads towards the Chatlapur Customs Station.

Meanwhile, on 28 November, some Indians armed with crude weapons closed down the export and import through the Batuli Customs Station.

Speaking to two Shilchar-based Indian journalists, it has been learnt that export and import through the Zakiganj Customs Station came to a halt due to the protest of an organisation, Sanatani Oikya Mancha, in the Karimganj border area in Assam.

Earlier, a group of protesters tried to trespass into Bangladesh citing torture on people of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. However, they returned after the local police and members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) stopped them.

Sources at the Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate say the Zakiganj port is used only to export products. However, the Sheola, Batuli and Chatlapur customs stations are used for both export and import.

Batuli Customs Station assistant customs officials Piyush Biswas said, “An organisation named ‘Akhand Rashtriya Hindu Sena’ sent them a letter which reads they won’t let restart the export and import activities unless Chinmoy Krishna Das is released from prison in Bangladesh.

IMPORT DWINDLES, EXPORT RISES

Imports through different land ports in the country have declined to some extent as compared to last year. A total of 588.8 million tonnes of products have been imported through the Benapole land port in the four months from August to November this year, which was 771.8 million tonnes in the same time period last year.

Meanwhile, some 156.4 million tonnes of products have been exported in the same period of this year, which was 140.6 million tonnes last year.

The scenario was the same at the Hili land port. Some 184,136 tonnes of products were imported from August to November this year, which was 280,755 tonnes last year. However, imports through the Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh have increased to some extent in the same time period from 435,809 tonnes to 595,754 tonnes.

Speaking to this correspondent, Motiar Rahman, a Jashore-based trader and director of Bangladesh-India Chamber of Commerce and Industries said, “The central bank has imposed some new policies. Before, we had the options to pay for the LCs (Letters of Credit) after import. But now we have to pay in advance. The traders are importing perishable goods using other ports. Apart from that, the number of LCs has also reduced due to the dollar crisis.”

Meanwhile, exports of products to India through different ports of the country are rising. A total of 118,440 tonnes of products have been exported to India through the Bhomra land port in Satkhira in four months from August to November this year, which was some 89,858 tonnes last year.

According to the sources at the customs station in the export-based Bibirbazar land port in Cumilla, some 24,699 tonnes of products were exported from August to November last year, which declined to 14,865 tonnes in the same time period this year.

Cumilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Azam Khan Noman said product export through the Bibirbazar land port saw a decline following the regime change. He expects everything to get normal soon.

In Lalmonirhat, export-import through the Burimari land port remains normal. However, import of potatoes and onions through the port has been unofficially suspended for a week. According to local traders and C&F agents, many are reluctant to open LCs to import onions and potatoes as raw materials.

PASSENGERS DWINDLING

Analysing the documents of the nine land ports of the country, it has been learnt that the number of India-bound passengers or passengers returning to Bangladesh from India has dwindled by one third of the number of passengers last year. Some 892,117 people have checked in at the land ports of the country, which was more than 1.21 million last year in the same time period.

Some 19,850 passengers crossed the Banglabandha border in Panchagarh from August to November this year. The number was 27,721 last year. Some 71,699 people crossed the border through the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria in the same four months. The number was 145,417 within the same time period last year.

The number of passengers also dwindled at the Bibirbazar land port in Cumilla. Speaking to this correspondent on condition of anonymity, a member of Immigration Police said, “Most of those who are travelling to India got the VISA before 5 August. The validity of the VISA of most of the passengers will end by 15 December.”

At least 10 Bangladeshis were seen moving to India through the Bibirbazar Land Port Immigration on Monday morning. There was no passenger who got the VISA after 5 August.

Speaking to this correspondent, Zakir Hossain from the Uttar Rampur village of Cumilla Sadar Dakshin upazila said, “I got the VISA six months earlier. It will expire in three days. So I am going to Agartala for a visit. Everything is normal here. I haven’t faced any problem.”