Trade thru' Benapole resumes

India-Bangladesh trade transactions through the country's premier land port Benapole resumed Thursday after 34 days of suspension. The government had suspended port operations following the COVID-19 related countrywide shutdown.
The West Bengal government, on Wednesday, agreed to resume bilateral trade through Benapole-Petrapole border, allowing transshipment of goods in the zero-line during the lockdown.
The decision was taken following correspondence between the two countries at the diplomatic as well revenue officials' levels.
Some 2,500 goods-laden trucks remained stuck-up in the country's largest land customs station through which more than one-third of the bilateral trade is transacted.
The trucks, including 500 laden with perishable goods, remained stuck due to restriction imposed by the Indian local administration.
Although export-import with other countries continued through Chittagong sea-port, trade through Benapole land port remained suspended during the lockdown, causing serious disruptions to supply chain.
Commissioner of Benapole Customs House (BCH) Md Belal Hossain Chowdhury told the FE that the trade between India and Bangladesh through Benapole port resumed on Thursday afternoon with the arrival of a maize-laden truck at the zero point.
"We have conducted a number of meetings with authorities concerned of the West Bengal government to resume the trade for the sake of both the countries."
It was a matter of serious concern, as a number of essential goods, including onion, come through the port, he also said.
Following relentless efforts of both the countries, the West Bengal government has agreed to allow their trucks to unload goods at the zero point, he added.
R K Saini, under-secretary of the Land Ports Authority of India, under Ministry of Home Affairs, in an office memorandum on April 28, has allowed transshipment of goods on zero line of Benapole-Petrapole international land border.
"….the state government has insisted to carry out transshipment of EXIM cargo on the zero line of the Indian border from Indian trucks to Bangladeshi trucks and vice-versa," he wrote to the ministries and stakeholders concerned in India.
Following the memorandum, the district magistrate of 24-Pargana of India issued a letter to the Indian land-port authority to resume trade through Benapole-Petrapole land border by maintaining maximum social distancing, and allowed Indian lorry and truck drivers go up to the zero point.
Nazrul Islam Khan, a C&F agent of Benapole, said the drivers were not willing to enter Bangladesh due to rules of the West Bengal government to stay in quarantine for 14 days after going back to India.
Many of the trucks with jute seeds and other perishable items were stuck in the port due to suspension of trade, he added.
Our Correspondent from Benapole adds, India is initially starting export of essential commodities and perishable goods through the port. Other products will be exported and imported through it gradually.
In order to reduce congestion of cargo trucks at Petrapole land-port in India, various business associations, customs authorities, border guards and law-enforcers of the two countries earlier decided to load and unload goods, imported from India, at no-man's land. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting at no-man's land on Wednesday afternoon.
Benapole Port Deputy Director Mamun Kabir Tarafdar said if Indian traders export goods and Bangladeshi traders accept those from no-man's land, all kinds of cooperation will be provided to them by the port authority.
To protect against coronavirus, port users will have access to health safety facilities like hand gloves, masks, hand sanitisers or soapy water at the entry point.
Benapole Customs House contributed Tk 40.39 billion revenue to the government in last fiscal year, 2018-19. The major items, imported through the customs house, are - food grains, raw cotton, chassis, vehicles, motor parts, capital machinery, ready-made garments, iron and steel products, steel plates, cosmetics, baby foods, chemicals, stone, and chips etc.
Bangladesh exports jute, jute goods, garment products, Hilsa fish, betel nut, tamarind seed, and rice bran etc to India through Benapole.

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