Violent situation in Bangladesh has badly disturbed bilateral trade activities through different border points in Tripura. Exporters and importers of both countries are incurring huge financial loss while government is losing hefty revenue.
Trade leaders said successive general strikes in Bangladesh and adverse security situation has affected trade in all six land custom stations. They added the state is already facing scarcity of commodities like stone chips, cement and fish due to current turmoil across the border.
“In normal circumstance some three hundred loaded trucks from Bangladesh arrive at Akhaura border in Agartala, but today only 25 trucks came”, Makhan Lal Debnath, President of Tripura Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said on Tuesday.
He added other trade points at Raghna, Srimantpur, Belonia, Khowai and Kailasahar are experiencing no trade activity over past few days.
Manish Biswas, Secretary of Agartala Exporter Importer Association, hoped the situation in Bangladesh will improve to pave resumption of normal trade activity. “This problem should not continue for long”, he stated.
Bangladesh emerged leader in trade with north-eastern states which gave it a slight relief amidst huge trade imbalance with India. In 2012 Bangladesh exported commodities to tune of Rs 350 crore to Tripura and imported very small quantity from the state.
Trade relation with Bangladesh in Tripura frontier started two decades ago. The work for huge integrated check post (ICP), one of seven in India, is underway at Akhaura border in Agartala to facilitate better trade service and immigration.
Indian and Bangladesh recently signed a protocol to set up some border haats (market) along Tripura border to allow trading of limited number of goods. Border haats earlier opened in Meghalaya state.
