Watch the Video
Petrapole: Bangladesh’s unrest has ceased cross-border trade operations for the past four days. However, import and export businesses returned to normalcy from Wednesday morning.
Cross Border traders have reported that from last Saturday, i.e., for the past four days, 812 Indian trucks have been standing idle at Petrapole, waiting to go to Benapole. As these trucks were not able to reach Benapole, the businessmen faced huge financial losses.
Kamlesh Saini, the manager of Petrapole, Land Port Authority of India has informed that when trucks from India carrying goods enter Benapole in Bangladesh, their ‘online entry’ is done. However, since internet services were down in Bangladesh, this couldn’t be done. This is why trucks carrying goods from India couldn’t reach Benapole on time. But as Bangladesh accepted perishable goods through a ‘manual’ system, some trucks carrying perishable goods (fish, onions, chilies, garlic, etc.) moved between Petrapole and Benapole on Tuesday.
According to Kartik Chakraborty, “the Indian truck drivers and their helpers stranded at Benapole are facing hardships.” Non-Bengali drivers are having difficulties with food. “In four days, we are at a loss of several hundred crores .” Shamsur Rahman, the president of the Benapole Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association, assured last Monday that steps would be taken to resolve the issue. Accordingly, from 6 a.m. on Wednesday, import-export operations have resumed normally through the Petrapole land port.
Sources at the port reported that under normal circumstances, 350 or more goods laden trucks go to Benapole daily, and more than 200 trucks carrying goods come from Bangladesh to Petrapole. Every month, goods worth two to two and a half thousand crores of rupees are exported to Bangladesh through the Petrapole port. All this came to a standstill over the past four days. When trucks are parked at the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) parking, businessmen have to pay a specific daily fee to the government (detention charge). As trucks remain parked day after day, the ‘detention charge’ increases, causing financial losses to businessmen. However, with the resumption of normal border trade through the Petrapole port from Wednesday morning, there is a sense of relief among the border trade community.
