Trade Halt: India-Bangladesh Land Ports Stymied by Student Protests

Trade between India and Bangladesh ground to a halt due to ongoing student protests in Bangladesh. The cessation impacted major land ports, with hundreds of cargo trucks stranded. While passenger movement continued, the disruption significantly affected exports and overall trade dynamics.

Trade between India and Bangladesh via land ports came to a standstill on Sunday due to student protests in Bangladesh, officials said.

The Petrapole landport on the Bangladeshi side remained non-functional, affecting nearly one-third of the land-based trade between the two countries.

''Trade from other land ports to Bangladesh, including Petrapole, Gojadanga, Fulbari, and Mahadipur, has also stalled as Bangladeshi Customs announced a two-day holiday following the government's declaration of a holiday due to the unrest,'' West Bengal Exporters' Coordination Committee Secretary Ujjal Saha stated.

''There has been no movement of trucks at the Petrapole border since Sunday morning. Our land border remains open, but trade has been impacted due to Benapole,'' Kamlesh Saini, Manager of Land Port Authority of India (Petrapole), told PTI.

Officials reported that on Saturday, 110 trucks entered India from Bangladesh, while 48 trucks went to Bangladesh with exports. Around 700 trucks remain stranded, waiting to cross over.

Saini noted that passenger movement continued, with many students returning due to security concerns. A BSF spokesperson said they have assisted in evacuating Indians and other nationals from violence-hit areas in Bangladesh.

The trade analyst Sagar Khastagir indicated that while exports via waterways have not stopped, they have decreased significantly. Fly Ash exports for cement production are notably impacted due to evacuation logistics hindered by curfews and unrest.