April 11, 2025
DHAKA – Four lorries carrying garment products were refused entry through Petrapole Port on Wednesday, hours after India cancelled a transit facility that allowed Bangladesh to export goods to third countries through India.
The shipment refused entry by Indian customs was meant for Bhutan, said Irtiza Ahmed Anik, owner of the clearing and forwarding agency in charge of the shipment.
The products were being exported by Dhaka-based JMS Composite Ltd, said Anik, owner of Padma Trading in Benapole.
The Daily Star has not been able to independently verify which country the shipments were intended for.
On Wednesday, the Indian Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) issued a notification cancelling Bangladesh’s transit facility.
From June 2020, the facility allowed Bangladeshi products to be transported to airports in India via land routes in sealed containers and lorries.
On Wednesday, The Print India quoted Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, as saying, “These measures do not impact Bangladesh’s exports to Nepal and Bhutan transiting through Indian territory.”
“Petrapole Customs did not issue cargo passes for goods meant for third countries due to the cancellation of the transit facility. However, the export of other goods to India remains normal,” said Sajib Nazir, deputy director of Benapole Land Port.
Meanwhile, export and import of other goods through Benapole and three other land ports — Akhaura, Banglabandha, and Burimari — have been uninterrupted.
In Panchagarh, jute, potatoes, and tissue paper were exported to Nepal through Banglabandha land port yesterday and nothing unusual had happened, said Abul Kalam Azad, in charge of the Banglabandha Land Port.
Some goods were meant for India and some for Nepal, he said.
However, no goods were exported to Bhutan from Bangladesh through the port in the last two days, he said.
Akhaura Land Port in Brahmanbaria saw around 70 tonnes of various goods shipped to Tripura, said Mahmudul Hasan, assistant director of the port.
At Burimari Land Port in Lalmonirhat, some goods were shipped to Bhutan, said Mehedi Hasan, assistant director of the port.
He also said it was business as usual throughout the day.
[Our correspondents from Jessore, Brahmanbaria, Lalmonirhat, and Nilphamari contributed to this report.]