Unrest in Bangladesh disrupts international trade

Hili: International trade through the India-Bangladesh borders has come to a standstill with unrest in Bangladesh. The otherwise bustling land port of Hili on the India-Bangladesh border now wears a deserted look with long lines of trucks seen on the National Highway (NH) 512 at Balurghat-Hili, awaiting clearance for cross-border trade.

On Sunday, the Hili International Land Port completely halted import-export trade. The reduced movement of citizens between the two countries has also affected the local economy at the border.

Sources indicate that nearly 200 trucks have been stationed along the border in recent days. Primarily, Hili serves as a transit point for importing onions, green chili and stone chips from India into Bangladesh. The unrest in Bangladesh has significantly disrupted import-export trade. On Saturday, although export operations had resumed after 1 pm, only 89 trucks crossed into Bangladesh by evening compared to the usual 150 per day. Concerns were raised that continued disruptions could entirely halt export trade. These fears were realised as from Sunday onwards, all import-export operations at Hili came to a complete standstill.

Subrata Saha, a member of Hili Exports Association, attributed the closure to Bangladesh’s ongoing curfew, which has paralysed the Hili border port. “Trucks carrying onions and green chili from South Dinajpur to Hili border ports for export to Bangladesh remain stranded. Due to the curfew in Bangladesh and the complete shutdown of internet services, communication with importers has become impossible,” he lamented. The Bangladesh government has reportedly announced that import-export operations will remain suspended until Monday, raising concerns about perishable goods losses and financial damages for traders.

Ranjit Biswas, Superintendent of Hili Customs, commented on the situation: “Internet shutdown in Bangladesh has caused difficulties in both imports and exports for the past few days. The impact on import-export businesses was severe on Saturday.” Dhiraj Adhikari, Joint Secretary of Hili Exports Association, expressed concerns over potential losses amounting to several crores due to the suspension of import-export operations. “Businesses in Bangladesh are unreachable. The shutdown will continue until Monday, but prolonged disruptions could have a profound impact on export trade,” he cautioned. Meanwhile, amidst the volatile situation in Bangladesh, approximately 322 students from India and Nepal have returned via the Hili border due to the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh. Bangladesh authorities ensured their safe passage amidst tight security.

Sudan Rezaur Rahman, student from Assam studying in Bogura Medical College, Bangladesh, expressed relief at returning home: “We were concerned about getting back to India due to disrupted communications nationwide.

Finally, with the help of two police vans, we crossed into India via the Hili border.”