Balurghat, Aug. 31 -- Cross-border trade through the Hili land port in South Dinajpur, between India and Bangladesh has been suspended indefinitely, with both import and export activities coming to a halt from Sunday. The sudden suspension has also stopped the movement of trucks between the two countries, leaving several vehicles stranded at parking areas.
The Hili Export-Import and Customs Clearing Agent Staff Welfare Association (HEICCASWA) issued a notice informing Bangladeshi traders about the decision. However, the exact reason behind the suspension remains unclear. Traders said the stoppage would cause financial losses to businesses already facing a prolonged slowdown.
According to sources, the latest development may be linked to a dispute with the police over alleged overloading of trucks. However, HEICCASWA secretary Bikash Mondal said the association had no complaint against anyone and described the matter as an internal issue. "We have no complaints against anyone. We have some internal issues. Business is also causing us losses, so trade has been kept suspended for the time being," Mondal said. At present, wheat, green chillies, bran and stones are among the major commodities exported from India to Bangladesh. Around 30 trucks cross into Bangladesh from Hili on an average daily. Biscuits and packaged food products are imported from Bangladesh, though the volume of imports is considerably lower.
Trade through the Hili border had been witnessing a prolonged downturn amid strained bilateral relations and increasing competition from other land ports in West Bengal.
Traders have also expressed concern over the recently introduced slot-booking system.
A notice to the Bangladeshi counterpart stated that Hili was lagging behind other land ports in West Bengal in commercial competition due to various factors and that the association had therefore decided to suspend import-export activities from August 30.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.