Indian transporters at the Fulbari border crossing, near Siliguri, decided to block the passage of boulders from Bhutan to Bangladesh. The move comes as the allege that Bangladesh has opted to purchase stone exclusively from Bhutan for the past three months, rather than from Indian suppliers.
On Monday(16 June), truck owners and drivers, alongside various trade associations, implemented a sit-in demonstration and blockade at the border, bringing the movement of goods to a standstill. They are demanding that Bangladesh resume buying boulders from India, says a report from Telegraph India.
“Due to the recent deterioration in bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, importers are not buying boulders through our transporters. This has led to a serious impact on our business,” stated Suvankar Naskar, former secretary of the Fulbari Truck Owners Welfare Association (FTOWA). He further said: “If Bangladesh does not allow our truckers to export boulders, no truck from Bhutan will be allowed to cross our border through Fulbari.”
This blockade, which lasted for six hours on Monday, temporarily disrupted the daily flow of approximately 250 trucks carrying Bhutanese boulders into Bangladesh. While the blockade was withdrawn after a meeting with Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb and an assurance of discussions with the district magistrate, the Indian transporters have made it clear that their actions will resume if their demands are not met within 72 hours.
Md Shahjahan, secretary of the truck owners’ association, reiterated their stance: “We have withdrawn our blockade today (Monday, 16 June). But if our trucks are not allowed to enter Bangladesh, we will stop all the trucks that come from Bhutan and will not let those vehicles cross the border.”
