Traders from Assam's Sribhumi District Halt Trade with Bangladesh

Guwahati, Dec 2 (NationPress) In the Sribhumi district of Assam, more than 500 traders have declared that they will stop all import-export activities with Bangladesh as a response to the increasing violence against minorities and the disrespect for the Tricolor in the neighboring country.

On Monday, these traders gathered at a river port near Sribhumi town, where some individuals set fire to Bangladeshi goods that had previously arrived here.

Amaresh Roy from the Karimganj District Export-Import Coordination Committee stated their opposition to the violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh, including Christians and Hindus.

He expressed: “They continuously insult India without justification, but most recently, we witnessed an affront to our national flag there; this is unacceptable. Our nation comes first, and we refuse to conduct business with such a country.”

According to Roy, the Sribhumi district hosts numerous trade unions, and the coordination committee acts as a platform for all.

“We have collectively made this decision, and trade will be suspended until normalcy is restored in Bangladesh,” he mentioned.

Northeastern India, which includes Bangladesh and Sribhumi, has 13 land ports and four water ports. The most active land ports are Sutarkandi in Sribhumi, Dawki in Meghalaya, and Akhaura in Tripura.

Key exports from the northeast include coal, stone, limestone, ginger, onion, rice, dry chilli, and fruits. Imports from Bangladesh include wooden furniture, plastics, cement, GI sheets, waste cotton, iron rods, fish, pickles, soft drinks, biscuits, and various food items.

Roy mentioned that following the outbreak of widespread violence in Bangladesh on August 5, trade was halted for about two months.

“Many traders in Bangladesh were in hiding due to political issues, and the country's major banks refused to issue Letters of Credit (LC). However, trade resumed in October,” he added.

Large protests against violence towards Hindus in Bangladesh took place in the Barak Valley region of Assam, which comprises the districts of Cachar, Hailakandi, and Sribhumi. The protests intensified following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das from Iskcon last week.

Joining the traders, local MLA from Sribhumi, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, stated that they would not allow any trade with Bangladesh until the assaults on Hindu minorities cease.

In a letter addressed to the District Commissioner of Sribhumi, Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi, he wrote, “As the sentiment in Sribhumi District is running high regarding the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and the targeting of the Hindu religious minority, I formally request you to halt all export and import activities with Bangladesh via the Sutarkandi Border and Sribhumi Steamerghat through the riverine route until the situation normalizes in Bangladesh.”

Nevertheless, Dwivedi emphasized that the government had not issued any directive to stop trade with Bangladesh and would not interfere until such orders were given.

“These transactions occur between private entities, and independent merchants are free to decide with whom they wish or do not wish to do business. We have no authority in this regard. There is no official embargo on imports; all I can confirm is that no order from the relevant authorities has been issued,” he stated.