Banglabandha land port, the only land port connecting four countries—Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan—is currently facing a crisis. Although it earned 91 crore Taka in revenue until January 2024, imports have now halved due to the suspension of stone imports from Bhutan.
This issue began due to a new regulation by the West Bengal state government of India, which has set a mandatory slot booking charge for Bhutanese cargo trucks. This decision has led to stagnation at the Banglabandha port. Additionally, revenue has decreased, workers have become unemployed.
Once, Banglabandha port was a hub for multinational import-export activities, but it has now become predominantly reliant on stone imports. Traders have shown significant interest in importing stone from Bhutan due to its high quality state tax benefits. The stones are available at a lower cost compared to India, which has been a source of long-standing tensions between Indian and Bhutanese traders.
In 2023, following protests by truck drivers and traders at India’s Fulbari port, the West Bengal state government attempted to impose a slot booking charge of 3,000 to 5,000 Taka for Bhutanese cargo trucks, which was not implemented at the time. However, when the same demand was raised again in January 2024, the state government re-imposed the slot booking charge, leading to the suspension of stone imports from Bhutan starting January 4.
Although India resumed stone exports from January 12, the price has increased by 3-4 dollars per ton. While some traders have been forced to import Indian stones, most have stopped doing so. Previously, 300-350 stone-laden trucks used to arrive at Banglabandha daily, but now this has reduced to only 70-80. As a result, the port has practically come to a standstill.
Akhtarul Islam, President of the Banglabandha Workers Union, told Liberty News that over five hundred workers have become unemployed due to the suspension of stone imports from Bhutan. Even stone-crushing workers have lost their jobs. There needs to be a quick resolution through discussions between the business communities of Bangladesh, India, and Bhutan.
Abul Kalam Azad, the in-charge of Banglabandha Landport Limited, told Liberty News that due to internal issues between Bhutan and India, stones are not coming from Bhutan, which has led to stagnation at the port.
LND/SAKIB
