Traders said that around 50 trucks loaded with export goods have been stranded at Burimari land port in Lalmonirhat’s Patgram upazila for three days due to Indian traders’ decision to halt imports. Importers at Changrabandha land port in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, have refrained from bringing in goods from Bangladesh since Sunday, according to traders at Lalmonirhat.
Indian traders took the decision after their Bangladeshi counterparts at Burimari land port stopped importing boulder stones from India and Bhutan on Saturday, flaring tensions and disrupting trade.
Burimari land port is used to export garment scraps, juice, biscuits, and apparel items from Bangladesh to India.
Importers at Burimari land port stopped bringing in boulder stones from India and Bhutan due to price hikes. Now, we are in trouble with the trucks stuck at the port. Abu Raiyan Ashari Rachi, president of the Burimari Land Port Importers-Exporters Association, said boulder stones from India and Bhutan were being sold at $10, $14, and $16 per tonne, causing losses for Bangladeshi importers.
However, the Bangladesh Land Ports Authority at Burimari, said that the conflict was an internal issue between the traders of two countries and not an official matter. According to the authority since port revenue depends on import and export activities, they are in discussions with traders, and hope the issue will be resolved soon.
