Bangladesh exports to Northeast hit roadblock as Centre closes key Tripura landports
AGARTALA : Cross-border trade between India’s Northeast and Bangladesh has taken a severe hit since May 17, following the Directorate General of Foreign Trade’s (DGFT) directive halting trade through key landports, including the Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP) near Agartala.
The fallout has been immediate. Hundreds of trucks carrying goods bound for Tripura have been forced to return after being denied movement clearance.
Officials at Akhaura ICP confirmed a sharp decline in cargo traffic, with only essential commodities such as fish and limited quantities of cement allowed entry since the restrictions took effect.
“This has caused a drastic fall in goods movement. Previously regular imports of plastic items, PVC goods, processed food, and fruit-based beverages have stopped entirely,” a senior official at Akhaura ICP told The Assam Tribune.
The new restrictions have also alarmed Bangladeshi exporters, who fear long-term economic repercussions.
“We exported goods worth nearly 30 lakh Bangladeshi Taka through Akhaura daily, and most of those items—juices, plastic products, furniture—are now barred,” a Bangladeshi trader told the press.
The Akhaura landport serves as a key commercial gateway for Bangladeshi exporters into Indian states such as Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and parts of Assam.
In the last financial year, Bangladesh’s exports through Akhaura touched Rs 453 crore, up from Rs 427 crore the year before—a testament to the port’s growing trade relevance.
RFL Plastic, one of Bangladesh’s largest plastic manufacturers, has been among the hardest hit.
“The Northeast market is now cut off. Shifting to seaports will escalate logistics costs and render trade unviable,” said Kamrujjaman Kamal, an RFL retail division official, in a statement to a Bangladesh daily.
In Tripura, the state government has moved quickly to assess the situation. Director of Industries and Commerce Dr Sailesh Yadav chaired a high-level meeting at the Akhaura ICP on Monday, where officials were instructed to strictly enforce the DGFT’s new trade norms.
“We are processing only the exempted goods as per the directive,” confirmed Debasish Nandi, Manager of Akhaura Land Port.
Meanwhile, even the trade in essential items has seen disruption. On Wednesday, no trucks carrying fish crossed the border after Bangladeshi exporters reportedly failed to secure the necessary permits.
According to estimates, fish and dry fish worth $90,000 to $95,000 are exported daily to India via Akhaura.
With mounting trade losses and rising frustration on both sides of the border, traders have called for urgent diplomatic intervention to find a middle ground that can sustain the vital economic corridor between Bangladesh and India’s Northeast.
Source : Assam Tribune
