The continued strike at the Hili port, the second largest land port of the country, has caused losses worth Tk20 crore over the last eight days.
SM Maniruzzaman Chowdhury, revenue officer (customs) of the port, said importers and exporters operating at the port have incurred losses amounting Tk12 crore over the last eight days due to the continued strike at the Hili port.
The government was also deprived of about Tk8 crore, which would have been raised in taxes.
Hili Customs C&F Association, Kuli Sramik Samannoi Committee, Truck Sramik Samannoi Parishad and Truck Owners’ Association called the strike, making a three-point demand, including an end to their alleged harassment by the BGB. Yesterday was the eighth day of the strike.
Hili C&F Agent Association Secretary Shahinur Islam Shahin said about 150 Indian trucks, carrying imported products, enter Bangladesh daily. “Over 1,500 such trucks are stuck on the Indian side of the border. As a result, perishable products like onion, fish and fruits have gone bad,” he added.
On the Bangladesh side of the border, about 110 trucks have also been waiting to enter India.
SM Hayder, assistant manager of the port’s private operator Panama Port Ltd, said: “We are incurring losses worth Tk50 lakh daily and the porters who are dependent on the port activities are miserable because they are currently jobless.”
Harun-ur Rashid, the leader of the Hili Land Port Importers’ Association, blamed the Border Guard Bangladesh 3 battalion for the strike, because the local importers are protesting the system the BGB adopted on April 27 of issuing a pass card, the “Manifesto Card” (the card states production place and date of products), to the Indian trucks, claiming it to be a time consuming system.
Harun also threatened to go for tougher movement unless their demands were met.