Amid border tensions, trade through Teknaf port plummets

Both imports and exports through the Teknaf land port fell significantly over the last one and a half months, according to trade data, as tension escalates at the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. 

Through the port, Bangladesh imported 20,500 tonnes of goods in July. The volume fell to 17,318 tonnes in August and 13,580 tonnes in the first 26 days of September. Besides, exports in September came down to 320 tonnes from 400 tonnes in July.

"Seven to eight ships used to come to the port every day from Myanmar. But for the last one and a half months, only three to four ships have been coming to Teknaf," Ramendra Bikash Chakma, traffic inspector of Teknaf land port, told The Business Standard.    

He attributed the fall in trade to violent fighting between the Myanmar army and the Arakan army in Myanmar's major trade hub Mongdu.

The heavy fighting along the border caused Myanmar mortar shells to land in Bangladesh territory and a violation of the country's airspace a number of times. The shelling killed a Rohingya youth on the zero-line in mid-September, putting Border Guard Bangladesh in a state of high alert. 

From Teknaf land port, ships carry kuchia fish, toys, plastic products, garments, chips, aluminium products, medicines, cosmetics and food products to Myanmar's Mongdu, Akyab and Yangon port.

On the other hand, Bangladesh imports wood, betel nut, ginger, turmeric, chillies, onions, dried fish, onions, grams, lentils, rice, ginger and pickles from the neighbouring country. Vessels from Mongdu, Akyab and Yangon ports bring the items to Teknaf for transport to different districts.   

A recent visit to the port by the TBS correspondent revealed a single vessel being loaded to export kuchia fish to Akyab, while most of the workers and port officials were sitting idle.      

The workers said normally 20-25 trucks are loaded and unloaded at the port every day. But due to the ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar, only four to five trucks are leaving the port nowadays.

Aminul Islam, security executive officer of United Land Port Teknaf Limited, said timber import from Mongdu has been completely suspended due to the unstable situation. However, shipping to and from Akyab and Yangon is fairly normal.

Not a rainy day for border smugglers

The ongoing conflict across the border seems to have had no impact on the smuggling of yaba pills, gold and other items from Myanmar to Bangladesh, according to locals.  

They allege that smugglers are using Rohingya camps on the zero-line as transit points. Often some Rohingyas enter Myanmar at night and bring the items to their shelters. Later, they smuggle those to Bangladesh by evading the border guard patrol.           

In Bardarban's Tumbru, a village policeman told The Business Standard on condition of anonymity, "Nearly 90% of the houses in the zero-line camps store yaba, cigarettes and gold for smuggling into Bangladesh."   

On 24 September, the Bangladesh Coast Guard seized 13 gold bars by raiding Boroitoli area adjacent to Teknaf land port. Earlier, the border guards seized 90,000 pieces of yaba from Naf river on 21 September and 100,000 pieces from Rajapalong of Ukhiya on 20 September.

According to the Department of Narcotics Control, drugs enter through 15 points of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Of them, ten are in Cox's Bazar and five in Bandarban border. 

Border Guard Bangladesh 34 Battalion Commander Lt Col Mehedi Hasan said the battalion is not aware of drug smuggling by the zero-line Rohingyas. He said the border guard will look into the matter.   

Security analyst Major (Retd) Emdadul Islam said control over border smuggling is one of the major causes of the ongoing conflict between the Myanmar junta and armed rebel groups in the country.

"The armed groups want absolute control of the smuggling. But the military government wouldn't stay away from the business too. Therefore, cross-border smuggling continues even amid the border tensions," he noted.