AGARTALA, May 25 (TIWN) Seventh consignment of rice via Bangladesh’s Ashuganj Port will likely to arrive the State on Monday. Talking to TIWN, Secretary of Import-Export Association, Habul Biswas said that according to the Sixth Budget Burge, in the first phase, among 10, 000 metric tons, 6 thousand metric tons already stored in the FCI godown at Nandannagar. Biswas said that nearly 2000 tons of rice bearing 10-15 trucks will arrive with the consignment. Earlier, business remained affected as political turmoil in Bangladesh was affecting the import export centers situated along Indo-Bangla border. Continuous blockade in Bangladesh by the 18 party alliance headed by Bangladesh main opposition party BNP has laid the highest peak of trade season threadbare.Huge number of construction works which are usually done during this period require construction materials like stone, cement sand which are imported from Bangladesh.

Almost everyday common people and vehicles are burnt into ashes, as a result of the tussle between the opposition parties and the ruling party Awami League. 

Though India is not directly affected by this, its North Eastern states especially Tripura which is surrounded by Bangladesh on its three sides, is facing some dire consequences especially on the import export business.

But now, the situation has improved and import-export condition has become regular. Every day, trucks loaded with essential commodities arrived and left the State. It may be recalled that The FCI had also decided to carry a total of 35,000 tons of rice in different phases for Tripura via Bangladesh by next year. While following diplomatic parleys, the Bangladesh government agreed to transport food grains for Tripura across its territory without charging any duty under a special transit facility.

It is to be mentioned here that the first consignment of rice form Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh via Bangladesh Ashuganj river port reached Akhaura check post on August 7, 2014 and this was for the first time Bangladeshi trucks transported rice from Ashuganj port into Agartala warehouses.

Earlier in 2012, Bangladesh had allowed state owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to ferry heavy machinery, turbines and over dimensional cargoes through Ashuganj port for the 726 MW Palatana mega power project in southern Tripura. The Indian government had spent several millions of rupees to develop the Ashuganj port and related infrastructure. After Tripura, it is likely that food grains will be ferried in a similar way to other northeastern states, the FCI official said. The transportation via Bangladesh is much easier as road connectivity is a big factor for the mountainous northeastern states which share boundaries with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and China.

 There is only a narrow land corridor to the northeastern region from India through Assam and West Bengal but this route passes through hilly terrain with steep gradients and multiple hairpin bends, making plying of vehicles, especially loaded trucks, very difficult. For instance, Agartala via Guwahati is 1,650 km from Kolkata by road and 2,637 km from New Delhi, while the distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just about 620 km.