Bangladeshi exporters have blocked imports from India through Benapole Land Port in Jashore in a tit-for-tat move following the decision from the other side to continue a halt on imports from Bangladesh. Different organisations that use the port have backed the movement by the exporters, Benapole C and F Staff Association General Secretary Sajedur Rahman said on Thursday.

The two countries halted export and import through the port on Mar 22 in fear of spread of the novel coronavirus.

After a series of meetings between the customs authorities and traders who use the port, trade resumed on Jun 8.

But India is not allowing Bangladeshi goods though it is sending its goods to Bangladesh citing COVID-19 concerns.

For the last time on Wednesday, Bangladesh allowed 106 trucks hauling goods from India into Bangladesh, but no trade took place on Thursday following the Bangladeshi exporters’ objection to the one-way trade.

Jamal Hossain, the joint secretary of Benapole C and F Association, said Bangladesh was losing tens of billions of takas to the unilateral trade decision by India.

Emdadul Haque, the general secretary of Benapole Custom Clearing and Forwarding Agent Association, said they wrote to the West Bengal government and urged the Indian state’s Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay to resume import from Bangladesh.

“But there have been no visible efforts to reciprocate our call,” he said.

Mamun Kabir Tarafder, the deputy director at Benapole Land Port, said at least 500 goods-laden trucks were waiting to enter India from Bangladesh.

He said they have told the commerce ministry about the issue.

https://bdnews24.com/business/2020/07/03/bangladesh-exporters-block-india-imports-at-benapole-port-in-tit-for-tat-move