Port curbs on imports from Bangladesh to have impact in Bengal, but national interest supreme: Officials

Central government imposes port restrictions on Bangladeshi goods, impacting truckers and workers, citing national interest and geopolitical developments.

Though the Centre's move to restrict imports of certain goods from Bangladesh via land ports will have an impact on employment and transport revenue in West Bengal, the national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout, officials said on Sunday (May 18, 2025).

The central government on Saturday imposed port restrictions on the import of a few Bangladeshi goods, such as readymade garments and processed food items, in response to similar curbs placed by Dhaka on certain Indian products last month.

"Around 20-30 trucks, carrying finished premium garments, used to come daily even after India banned third-country transhipment. The latest order will completely stop such movement via land ports. When transhipment was allowed, 60-80 truckloads of garments were entering India," Petrapole Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association (PCASWA) member Kartik Chakraborty said.

Truckers and workers at border logistics hubs will be affected by the port restriction order, he said.

A trade expert, declining to be named, said the finished garments from Bangladesh often make their way into modern Indian retail chains at low prices, and these products are effectively being "dumped into the market by Bangladeshi exporters".

"The move by the Centre may be strategic, possibly linked to national interest and recent geopolitical developments, including Dhaka's ties with Islamabad. The national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout," the expert said.

The notification imposes "port restrictions on the import of certain goods such as readymade garments, processed food items etc., from Bangladesh to India," the Centre said.