Traders in Assam's Sribhumi District Halt Trade with Bangladesh

Guwahati, Dec 2 (NationPress) In the Sribhumi District of Assam, more than 500 traders have made the decision to cease all forms of import and export activities with Bangladesh due to increasing violence against minorities and disrespect shown towards the Tricolor in the neighboring country.

On Monday, the traders gathered at a river port near Sribhumi town, where some participants set fire to Bangladeshi goods that had been previously imported.

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

He stated: “They continually insult India without justification, but most recently, we observed an affront to our national flag; this is unacceptable. Our nation is our priority, and we do not wish to conduct business with such a country.”

Roy further mentioned that the Sribhumi District is home to various trade unions, and the coordination committee serves as a collective platform for them.

“We have collectively resolved to suspend trade until normalcy is restored in Bangladesh,” he added.

In northeastern India, including Bangladesh and Sribhumi, there are 13 land ports and four water ports. The most active land ports include Sutarkandi in Sribhumi, Dawki in Meghalaya, and Akhaura in Tripura.

The primary exports from the northeast consist of coal, stone, limestone, ginger, onion, rice, dry chili, and fruits. Imports from Bangladesh include wooden furniture, plastics, cement, GI sheets, waste cotton, iron rods, fish, pickles, soft drinks, biscuits, and several other food items.

Roy indicated that trade was halted for approximately two months after widespread violence erupted in Bangladesh on August 5.

“Most traders in Bangladesh were in hiding for political reasons, and major banks in the country refused to issue Letters of Credit (LC). However, trade resumed in October,” he noted.

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

Local MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha expressed solidarity with the traders, stating they would not engage in any trade with Bangladesh until the violence against Hindu minorities ceases.

In a letter addressed to the District Commissioner of Sribhumi, Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi, he wrote, “As the sentiment among the people of Sribhumi District is heightened regarding the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and the targeting of the Hindu religious minority community, I request that you suspend all exports and imports with Bangladesh through the Sutarkandi Border and Sribhumi Steamerghat until the situation stabilizes in Bangladesh.”

However, Dwivedi clarified that the government has not mandated a halt to trade with Bangladesh and that they will not intervene until such directives are issued.

“These transactions are conducted between private entities, and independent businessmen have the freedom to choose with whom they wish to engage in business. We have no authority in this matter. There is no official embargo on imports; all I can state is that no order has been issued by the relevant authorities,” he emphasized.