Staff Correspondent:

Exports from Bangladesh through the Bhomra Land Port in Satkhira have plummeted following an import ban imposed by the Indian government.

The export value dropped sharply from approximately $13 lakh to just $2.43 lakh in a single day.

Data from the Bhomra customs station shows that on 17 May, a total of 106 trucks carrying goods such as jute yarn, food items (toast, juice, chips, lychee), yarn waste, caps, ready-made garments, travel bags, and furniture were exported to India. The combined weight of the exported goods was 835.446 tonnes, with a total value of $13 lakh.

However, following the implementation of India’s import restrictions, only 28 trucks managed to cross the border on 18 May. These included shipments of yarn waste, reprocessed plastic, cotton knitted fabrics, jute yarn, and travel bags. The total volume fell to 275.763 tonnes, and the value of exports dropped to just $2.43 lakh.

Russell Ahmed, revenue officer at Bhomra land port, said India’s ban, imposed on 17 May, targeted several key product categories, notably garments and plastic goods — both of which were major export items through Bhomra.

“There are currently no exportable goods trucks stuck at the port,” he said.

He added, “The full impact of the ban will become clear in the coming weeks, but it is expected to negatively affect revenue collection and the broader economy.”

India restricted the import of at least seven categories of Bangladeshi goods, including readymade garments, fruits and processed foods, through its land ports – just a month after Bangladesh banned yarn imports via the same route.

The ban, outlined in a 17 May notification from India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce, stipulates that garments from Bangladesh may now only enter India through Kolkata and Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, seaports.

The restrictions will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India but destined for Nepal and Bhutan.