India’s trade with Bangladesh through the Petrapole–Benapole route - South Asia’s largest land port system – is witnessing 10-odd hours of stoppage daily July onwards, industry sources have said.
Trade between the two countries is supposed to be carried out round-the-clock for six days a week (barring Friday). “A ten-hour stoppage means over 100 trucks get stuck or await clearances at the land port every day,” a source tracking the matter told businessline.
The Petrapole border is located on the Indian side in West Bengal, about 80 km from the State capital of Kolkata. Benapole is located on the Bangladesh side. The land port route accounts for major share of bilateral trade which stood at $14.01 billion in FY24.
Exporters using this route told businessline, the crux of the problem lies in absence of clearances for vehicular movement; issue of passes to trucks to move through the borders. While Bangladesh land port officials allege that vehicle passes are not issued by India after 6 pm, Indian clearing agents say Bangladesh stops issuing entry passes after 4 pm.
“Bangladesh has not yet provided any explanation for such a move. Neither has India given a clear picture of what is the ground situation. While over 330 trucks continue to get clearances every day, this happens only before 6 pm,” an exporter said adding that the problem began on July 11.
Bangladesh officials in their local media have reportedly put the onus on India, while Indian custom officials deny knowledge of any such slowdown in issue of vehicle passes.
Concerns persist
The Petrapole Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association has already raised concerns on the matter with the Bangladesh High Commission in India and across various government departments in India.
In letters to Assistant Commissioner of Customs (Import) at ICP Petrapole, Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh, and other departments (seen by businessline), it said, while the Petrapole land port is supposed to be operational 24X7, “labour at ICP (integrated check post) Petrapole does not work after 6 pm”.
It also stated, Bangladesh does not issue vehicle passes after 4 pm, while weighbridges in the neighbouring country are unmanned between 10 pm and 10 am.
“Customs officers at the border gate routinely leave their offices without informing their Indian counterparts,” one of the letters stated. It added that drivers get “stranded overnight” while awaiting resumption of cargo movement.
The clearing agents also claim, internet connectivity issues in Bangladesh lead to trucks queuing up without any clarity on resumption of operations.
Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia and India is the second biggest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia.
Truck movement data
Data show that on July 1, 388-odd trucks crossed over to Benapole. Of these, 228 vehciles moved between 6 am and 6 pm, while 160 was between 6 pm and midnight. The number from July 2 – July 10 has been in the 260–300 range, with majority getting clearances – about 150 to 260 – in the 6 am and 6 pm slot, while post-6 pm some 150-odd trucks were cleared.
From July 11, when truck movement post 6 pm stopped, clearances received were for 384 (July 11), 331 (July 12), 0 (July 13), 357 (July 14), 373 (July 15) and 378 (July 16) vehicles, respectively.
India and Bangladesh have been aiming for the movement of nearly 500 trucks along the Petrapole–Benapole border route.