All kinds of export-import orientated activities at Hili port were halted yesterday for a second consecutive day as four import organisations enforced a strike for an indefinite period of time, demanding their three-point demands be met.
Hundreds of employees along with owners of the organisations including C&F Agent Association formed a human chain in Panama court area of the district town in the morning, demanding removal of Lieutenant Colonel Abdur Razzak Tarafdar, commander of BGB battalion 3.
President of C&F Agent Association Abul Kashem Azad and General Secretary of the organisation Abdur Rahman Liton, among others, addressed the human chain.
Sources at the port, which is the second largest land port in the country, said four organisations – the C&F Agent Association, Kuli Shramik Samannay Parishad, Truck Shramik Samannay Parishad and Malik Truck Group – went on the strike on Wednesday.
As a result, export and import between Bangladesh and India through the port have been closed down since then.
About 300 goods-laden trucks got stuck on the Indian side while trying to enter Bangladeshi territory yesterday because of the strike. Their demands include stopping the harassment that occurs during the process of importing.
Authorities of the BGB-3 battalion had fixed pass cards titled “Manifesto Card” (the card states production place and expiry date of products) for the Indian trucks since April 27, but the local importers identified it as a system loss.
The association has been demanding that the battalion and port authorities stop using the cards to make import procure smooth.
But BGB sources said it was their regular duty to know about the goods that enter the country.
However, activities at the immigration department of the port remained normal during the strike period.
When Contacted, Ahmed Shamim Al Razi, deputy commissioner, said they were trying their best to ease the deadlock situation in the port.
“We have informed the National Board of Revenue and Ministry of Home Affairs about the demands of import organisations,” he said.