As a mark of friendship Bangladesh has given an opportunity to India to import tasty Hilsha on the occasion of Durga Puja but India has announced a ban on onion exports to Bangladesh citing the crisis. Last year, on the occasion of the day of Durgapuja India also banned onion export. Interestingly Bangladesh exported 500 mts. of Hilsha on that day.
India's Petrapole Customs on Monday (September 14) abruptly stopped exporting onions to Bangladesh from the afternoon after the shipment of Hilsa entered through Benapole port. As a result, a truck carrying about one hundred onions laden trucks were stranded at Petrapole port waiting to enter Benapole port. As a result, importers have fallen into disarray with perishable goods.
Johnny Islam, a representative of Hamid Enterprise in Khulna, the largest onion importer in Bangladesh, said, "We are giving hilsa to India during Puja but they could have given time without suddenly stopping onion exports."
It is learned that due to the decline in hilsa production in the country, on October 1, 2012, the Ministry of Commerce set up Hilsa exports outside the country. However, since then, no Hilsa has been exported to any foreign country, but due to the friendship, on the occasion of the puja on September 29 last year, India was given the opportunity to import 500 mts. of Hilsa. This year 1450 was given the opportunity to import 1450 mts of Hilsha at 10 dollar per kilogram. On Monday afternoon of the total 1450 mts the first consignment loaded in two trucks of Hilsa have entered India. The rest of the Hilsa will enter by October 10. However, it has been seen twice the day Hilsa was sent. On the same day, the export of onion, the daily food of the Bangladeshi people, was stopped.
Kartik Chandra, general secretary of the Petrapole C&F Staff Association of India, said a truckload of onions entered Bangladesh at 9 am. After that, customs stopped exporting onions. Initially, however, it was learned that the areas where onions come from India have been flooded. Due to the crisis, onions are not going out of the country at present. However, the ban could be lifted at any time if the crisis is resolved.
Benapole Port Deputy Director (Traffic) Mamun Kabir Tarafdar said a delegation from the Commerce Ministry met at Benapole Port on Monday afternoon to facilitate onion imports. But in the afternoon, it was suddenly known through various channels that onions were no longer entering from India. However, the Indian authorities did not send a letter to stop the export of onions.