Transport strike disrupts port activities

The ongoing transport strike has severely affected activities of the land ports in the country. 

Most of the good-laden trucks were left stranded at the ports as truckers joined the agitating transport workers on Wednesday. 

Though the trucks moved across the Indian frontier smoothly, no vehicles could move on the Bangladesh side, prompting cargo congestion.       

No trucks left the Benapole land port, though export-import activities were going on at the port on Wednesday. 

Businessmen expressed their concern over the ongoing transport strike. They said highly perishable items will rot if the standoff does not come to an end.         

Meanwhile, a number of passengers from India also got stranded at the land port as they failed to avail any transport.   

Acting Director of the port Abdul Jalil said transportation of goods was smooth till Tuesday. Truckers' countrywide strike from Wednesday has put the transportation in a fix.

On an average, nearly 650 trucks load and unload cargos at the port every day. 

Assistant Commissioner of Benapole Customs Uttam Chakma said the government earns Tk15 crore in revenue from the port every day. 

"The strike deprived the government of that amount on Wednesday," he added. 

Meantime, import-export was suspended at Bhomra land port on the day. 

The port's Clearing and Forwarding Association leader Mostafizur Rahman said the port generate nearly Tk5 crore revenue for the government per day.                          

Trucks were trapped in a long tailback at Hili land port in Dinajpur district. After crossing the border on the Indian side, those failed to move further due to the protesting transport workers.

The government earns nearly Tk30 lakh in revenue from this port every day, said the port's revenue official Abu Bakar Siddique. 

Bangladesh mainly depends on the port for importing stones from neighbouring India.    

The same scenario prevailed at Tamabil land port in Sylhet. Assistant Director of the port Partha Ghosh said stone transportation from the port dumping yard was halted on Wednesday owing to the transport strike.         

As much as Tk50 lakh comes as revenue from the port per day. 

As many as 200 coal-laden trucks from India stranded at Burimari land port in Lalmonirhat. This port is mainly for stone import which generates Tk54 lakh revenue every day. 

Akhaura Land Port in Brammanbaria showed similar truck congestion like Hili. Vehicles those entered at the port from India on Tuesday night remained trapped in Bangladeshi site. 

Export to India similarly remained suspended via this port as vehicles could not arrive there on Wednesday.          

The strike affected the Banglabandha Land Port in Panchagarh slightly as it already had been witnessing a low amount of import-export.    

"Nearly 300 trucks used to commute via this port. The number dropped to 100 in the last couple of days," said the port Import-Export Association General Secretary Harun-or-Rashid.