India has significantly restricted imports from Bangladesh by limiting the entry of key products, most notably readymade garments (RMG) and processed food items, to only two designated seaports: Calcutta and Nhava Sheva. The new directive, issued by the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), immediately bans the import of these goods through all land ports, including major gateways like Petrapol, which previously handled over 90% of Bangladeshi garment shipments to India. Other affected items include fruit-flavoured beverages, plastics, rubber products, dyes, and wooden furniture. However, exemptions have been made for hilsa fish, LPG, edible oils, and crushed stone, and goods transiting through India to Nepal and Bhutan remain unaffected.
The move is widely interpreted as a retaliatory measure following trade barriers imposed by Bangladesh, including halts on Indian yarn and rice exports and heightened scrutiny at land ports. Diplomatic ties have further frayed after the recent rise of interim Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus, whose overtures toward China and controversial remarks about India's northeastern states raised alarms in New Delhi. With Bangladesh’s exports to India heavily reliant on land-based routes, the restrictions are expected to disrupt trade flows, raise logistics costs, and deepen regional tensions, while also potentially driving informal cross-border trade.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)