New Delhi: India on Saturday put port restrictions on the import of certain goods from Bangladesh to India. The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry stated that the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the ministry has issued a notification imposing port restrictions on the import of certain goods such as readymade garments, processed food items, and others from Bangladesh to India.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the port restriction, which has come into effect immediately, will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India and destined for Nepal and Bhutan. The statement specified that the import of all kinds of readymade garments from Bangladesh shall not be allowed from any land port; however, it is permitted only through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports. Additionally, the import of fruit, fruit-flavored and carbonated drinks, processed food items, cotton and cotton yarn waste, plastic and PVC finished goods-excluding pigments, dyes, plasticisers, and wooden furniture-will not be allowed through any Land Customs Stations and Integrated Check Posts in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, as well as LCS Changrabandha and Fulbari in West Bengal.
The import of specific items such as fish, LPG, edible oil, and crushed stone from Bangladesh remains unaffected by these port restrictions. The relationship between India and Bangladesh has experienced tension following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amidst popular protests and her subsequent escape to India.