Indian exporters’ strike halts trade at Hili

Import and export activities through the Hili land port in Dinajpur have been suspended indefinitely as Indian exporters and C&F agents began a strike on Sunday morning to press for their demands.

Members of the Hili Exporters and C&F Agents Association in India are demanding that the same facilities for exporting goods to Bangladesh be introduced at Hili as those available at other land ports in West Bengal, including Sonamasjid.

The Indian traders alleged that Hili land port has a much more restricted list of goods allowed for import and export compared with other India-Bangladesh land ports, reports UNB.

They said the restrictions are putting Hili traders at a disadvantage and causing financial losses.

They are seeking equal opportunities and a broader list of goods for trade through the Hili land port.

The Indian exporters’ association informed the Banglahili C&F Agents Association in Bangladesh about the strike through a letter signed by its general secretary Bikash Chandra Mondal.

According to the letter, Indian traders face various forms of discrimination in exporting goods through Hili compared with other land ports in West Bengal. As a result, exports through Hili have declined significantly, it said.

The association said it has decided to suspend all import-export activities through the port until a permanent solution to the problems is found.

Shakhawat Hossain Shilpi, president of the Hili Land Port Importers and Exporters Group, said the Indian traders’ organisation has informed them about the strike through a letter.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi importers are concerned about possible financial losses as trucks loaded with goods including wheat, maize, bran, pulses and small-sized stones imported against letters of credit have become stranded on the Indian side of the border.

They fear that the continued suspension of trade could cause significant losses particularly for importers whose consignments are already in transit.