NEW DELHI: After China, Indian exporters are now facing fresh trouble at the Bangladesh border with Indian consignments worth $1,000 million held up.
According to highly placed sources in the Commerce Ministry, certain consignments from Bangladesh had been restricted by India in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a retaliatory measure, the Bangladesh government has now halted consignments from India worth $1,000 million.
According to exporters, several trucks are currently stranded at the India-Bangladesh border ports: Petrapole and Ghojadanga in India and Benapole and Bhomra in Bangladesh.
“After China, now fresh trouble has begun at Bangladesh. Our consignments worth $1,009 million are stranded and aren’t being allowed into Bangaladesh. We have taken the matter to both the Centre and the West Bengal government,” an exporter said, adding that the Commerce Ministry has assured them that it will resolve the matter soon.
“We have received reports of halting of consignments at the Bangladesh border. As per our understanding, some import consignments from Bangladesh were halted due to the covid-19 outbreak in West Bengal, after which they stopped our imports. Talks are on and the matter will be resolved soon,” a commerce ministry official said.
However, officials also noted that there was no tension on the diplomatic level and said the move was triggered after the West Bengal government’s decision that truck drivers should go through a 14-day quarantine before they could be allowed to enter the state. This shut down land-border trade completely, they said.
“The situation on the ground has worsened over the last couple of days and Bangladesh has completely stopped allowing entry of new export trucks,” the Federation of Indian Exporters Organisations (FIEO) said, confirming the development.
According to FIEO, about 2,100 Indian export cargo trucks are stranded at Petrapole. Another 500 to 550 trucks and tankers, including those carrying perishable items, are waiting at the Benapole and Bhomra borders. Bangladesh has completely stopped imports from India from June 29.
Responsibility India’s, says Bangladesh
Reports quote Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen saying that it was the responsibility of the Indian government since they have been allowing Indian drivers in, but India has blocked passage.