Trade between India and Bangladesh through the Petrapole land port in West Bengal resumed on Thursday morning under heightened security, according to officials cited by PTI.
This resumption follows a temporary halt in trade that began on August 5 due to the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh.
While trade had partially resumed through other land ports in West Bengal, Petrapole, which handles the highest volume of commerce between the two nations, had remained closed until now.
"Trade began from Petrapole since morning. There was a meeting yesterday with stakeholders from both countries to resolve the stalemate," an unnamed official confirmed.
The trade was anticipated to restart on the morning of August 8, Sajedur Rahman, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Staff Association, indicated after a meeting on the evening of August 7, according to media reports.
Benapole, situated on the Bangladesh side of the Petrapole border in West Bengal, is a crucial trade point.
Trade in perishable goods partially resuming at other land ports like Hili, Changrabandha, Mahadipur, Fulbari, and Gojadanga on Wednesday.
Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government amid widespread protests, Indian authorities increased border security, officials informed.
The director general of the Border Security Force (BSF) visited Petrapole on August 6 to assess the situation.
Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in South Asia: its exports are largely dominated by textiles and garments, which make up 56% of total shipments. Conversely, India is the second-largest trade partner for Bangladesh in Asia. The supplies to Dhaka include vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, confectionery, refined petroleum, chemicals, cotton, iron, steel, and vehicles.
However, in the fiscal year 2023-24, India's exports to Bangladesh fell to $11 billion from $12.21 billion in 2022-23, and imports dropped to $1.84 billion from $2 billion.