Indo-Bangla trade resumes from Petrapole land port amid tight security

Trade between India and Bangladesh through Petrapole land port in West Bengal, resumed Thursday morning (August 8) amid tight security, officials said.

The two South Asian neighbours' trade came to a halt on August 5 following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh and it partially resumed on Wednesday (August 7) through several land ports in West Bengal, except Petrapole. Bilateral trade via Petrapole is the highest among all land ports shared with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in South Asia, and India is the second-largest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia. India's exports to Bangladesh dipped to USD 11 billion in 2023-24 from USD 12.21 billion in 2022-23. Imports also declined to USD 1.84 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 2 billion in 2022-23.

India's main exports to Bangladesh include vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, confectionery, refined petroleum oil, chemicals, cotton, iron and steel, and vehicles. In contrast, Bangladesh's exports to India are concentrated in a few categories, with textiles and garments comprising 56 per cent of their shipments.