By Firstdespatch Desk May 20, 2025
Agartala, May 20 (FD) Tripura Government has instructed the exporters and importers of the state, who trade with the neighbouring Bangladesh for strict observance of the port restrictions imposed by the Government of India.
The Director of the state Industries and Commerce department, Sailesh Kumar Yadav held a meeting with the Exporters and Importers of the state including from Dharmanagar, Khowai and Sonamura on Monday and asked them for strict adherence.
Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in its notification on May 17, said the port restrictions will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India but destined for Nepal and Bhutan.
Yadav said, “I had meeting with exporters and importers at the Integrated Check post here and they all agreed for adherence to the notification of the DGFT. The bans are on garments, fruits, cotton yarns, plastics, PVC finished goods and wooden furniture. Officers of the BSF and Customs department were also present in the meeting”.
The business organizations in Tripura welcomed the decision of the central government to impose port restrictions on Bangladesh and said that the national interests should come first.
Nitai Saha, president of Tripura Export-Import chamber of commerce said, “It is a welcome approach by the Government of India. They are now trying to tie-up with our foe like Pakistan, when they were making business with India. We think it is a concerted effort by our Government”.
The Secretary of the Tripura Chamber of Trade and Business (TCTB), said, Bangladeshi exporters, who exported more items, would be loser. “We have welcomed the move by the Govt. of India”, he added.
The Bangladeshi traders are running 28 cement manufacturing factories in neighbouring Brahmanbaria and Cumilla districts from where they exported cements and now they would face the trouble, he said.
The port officials said that earlier the Agartala ICP had cleared more than 1500 immigration clearance, which now has come down to 150 per day.
Tripura imported goods worth Rs. 636.72 crore from Bangladesh in the last fiscal when the state’s export was only 121.37 crore, which is an instance of trade imbalance.
Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh in three sides having 856 km long border with the neighbouring country, which has five operational land ports. FD JK