Exports through Bangladesh’s Benapole Land Port have slumped in the first six months of the current financial year compared to the same period in the last fiscal.
Imports, however, went up through the port during the period, Benapole Custom House Assistant Commissioner Sadhan Kumar Kundu told bdnews24.com.
Bangladesh exported goods worth around Tk 8.43 billion to India from July to Dec, while it was around Tk 14.59 billion during the same period of the last fiscal, he said.
Indian goods worth around Tk 54.53 billion entered the country in the period between July and Dec of the current financial year compared to around Tk 47.24 billion during the same period of the last year, Kundu said.
The fall in exports had been caused by repeated shutdowns, blockades, and the fall of the Indian rupees, said Syed Atikur Rahman, Joint Commissioner at Benapole Custom House.
No trucks carrying export items arrived at the port during the past two months because of general strikes and blockades called by the BNP and its allies.
Besides, Indian businesses had cut imports from Bangladesh because of a fall in the value of the rupee, he said.
On the other hand, imports went up, as goods entered the port against letters of credit even amid the shutdown and blockade in the current fiscal year, said Syed Atik.
Besides this, he said, “There is no risk in keeping goods at Benapole. Again, law enforcers escorted the imported goods to factories all days a week, including weekly holiday.”
This had allowed imports to be made normally, he said.
Benapole Importers and Exporters Association joint general secretary Mohsin Milon said, “Various goods including industrial raw materials are mostly imported through Benapole.”
He said industrial production would have been affected without a steady flow of such raw materials. So every effort had been made to keep the imports flowing.
Jessore Chamber of Commerce director Humayun Kabir Kobu said, “Political instability hit the country hard between Nov and Dec. The situation was good from July to Oct.”
“Those who opened letters of credit during the last two months had to import the goods amid shutdowns and blockades.”
Normalcy has, however, returned to Benapole, Bangladesh’s biggest land port, with the BNP and its allies recently not calling their agitation, especially shutdown and blockade, across the country.
Source: Bd news24
