Trade suspended between Bangladesh-India through Benapole port following Hasina’s exit

Trade between Bangladesh and India through Benapole Port has been halted since Monday morning, citing security concerns.

No goods have been exported from India to Bangladesh since Monday morning, nor have any trucks entered Bangladesh from India or vice versa. Cargo handling at the port has also been suspended.

Users of Benapole Port reported that trade between Bangladesh and India through the port has come to a standstill. The disruption began after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and subsequent departure from the country on Monday afternoon.

As most of the cargo handling contractors and labour leaders are supporters of the Awami League, they withdrew from the port, effectively stopping all cargo operations.

This has resulted in nearly two thousand goods-laden trucks being stranded at Benapole-Petrapole. On average, 400-450 trucks import goods and 200-250 trucks export goods through this port daily.

The stranded goods primarily consist of industrial raw materials, chemicals, machinery, and some perishable items, leading to significant financial losses for traders.

They have called for the immediate resumption of import-export activities to mitigate these losses.

Sajedur Rahman, General Secretary of the Benapole C&F Agent Staff Association, stated that over fifteen hundred trucks loaded with goods are stuck at Benapole and Petrapole due to the suspension of import-export activities amid security concerns.

He mentioned that they have held meetings with various stakeholders and are hopeful that operations will resume soon.

Rezaul Karim, Director of Benapole Land Port, confirmed that import-export activities between Bangladesh and India were halted from Monday morning due to security concerns. Discussions have been held with the Petrapole Port Manager, and they are hopeful that trade operations will restart shortly.