Hundred tonnes of Atap rice have been imported from India through the Banglabandha land port on Tuesday, after two years, in Panchagarh. The shipment arrived in four cargo trucks, said Abul Kalam Azad, manager of Banglabandha Land Port Limited.  The rice was imported by Pahar International through Al Amin Enterprise, marking a rare instance as this land port is primarily used for importing stones. TCB to procure soybean oil, sugar, lentil to sell through OMS Nur Hasan, additional deputy director of the Plant and Quarantine Center at the land port, said that the imported rice underwent thorough testing and inspection. “The rice was released after submitting a report stating that it is of good quality and fit for consumption,” he added. Banglabandha Land Port is the only land port in Bangladesh facilitating trade with India, Nepal and Bhutan via land. Although some goods have been exported through this port, the most imported is stone, according to port sources.  

Bangladesh’s export-import activities with India, Nepal and Bhutan via the Banglabandha land port will remain suspended for 10 days, on the occasion of Durga puja and Eid-e-Miladunnabi, port authorities said on Friday. Banglabandha Import-Exporter Group and Phulbari Exporters and Importers Welfare Association of India have taken the decision to keep trading via the land port shut from Friday to October 9. Port authorities said that export-import activities among Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan through the Banglabandha land port will resume on October 10. However, the movement of travellers through the land port will continue as usual, said Banglabandha immigration checkpost officer-in-charge Nazrul Islam.

Trade activities between India and Bangladesh through Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh district will remain suspended for 12 days due to Eid-ul-Azha. The suspension will remain in force from July 19 to July 30, said Abdul Latif Tarin, president of the Banglabandha Land Port Export Association. Read:Passengers’ movement through land ports with India to remain shut until July 14 The decision to suspend the trade activities through the land port was taken after a meeting with the associations of exporters, clearing agents, traders and workers on both sides of the border, he said. Trade activities will resume on July 31.

Following India’s decision suspending all visas, barring a few, the entry of passport passengers to the neighbouring country through all the land ports of the country remained halted from Friday afternoon.