Reported by: Mrinal Banik
Agartala: The Land Ports Authority of India, exporter-importer bodies and the business community in Tripura have been eager to see the restrictions imposed on cross-border trade between India and Bangladesh through the state’s land ports withdrawn and business and commercial activities return to normal.
Discussions in this direction are underway.
The Centre and the Tripura government are also eager to address restrictions on cross-border trade with Bangladesh and improve the availability of goods in the state.
Speaking about the impact of restrictions on the movement of certain goods from Bangladesh to the northeastern region, Land Ports Authority of India Manager posted at the Akhaura checkpost, Debasish Nandi, said a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on May 17, 2025, imposed restrictions on the movement of certain items from Bangladesh to the region.
He said Tripura depends on Bangladesh for several commodities that have significant local demand, as the neighbouring country is geographically closer and transportation costs are lower than those involved in procuring the same goods from other states.
“While cross-border trade supports Bangladesh’s economy, it also helps meet local demand in Tripura. However, restrictions on the movement of certain goods have affected the market,” Nandi said.
Referring to the impact on prices, he cited the example of goods that previously cost Rs 8-10 but now cost Rs 15-20. He said several other items had also been affected, although he did not specify the commodities.
Nandi said discussions had been held on the goods that could be imported from or exported to Bangladesh, with further deliberations planned to facilitate cross-border trade through the land ports and address restrictions affecting the availability of essential commodities.
He said the objective was to improve the movement of goods through the existing border infrastructure and ensure easier access to products for the public.
Tripura has three land ports under the Land Ports Authority of India: Agartala, Srimantapur in Sonamura and Sabroom. Nandi said Agartala was the second land port in India, while Sabroom was the latest facility developed in the state.
The opening of the Sabroom land port, however, has been delayed since August 2024. Nandi said it was initially scheduled to become operational on August 14, 2024.
He said the corresponding infrastructure at Ramgarh on the Bangladesh side had also been developed, with facilities comparable to those available at Sabroom.
“We have been waiting for the port to become operational. The Indian government is holding discussions with the Bangladesh government on the matter, and we hope the wait will end soon,” Nandi said.
Once operational, the Sabroom-Ramgarh route is expected to provide access to the Chattogram seaport in Bangladesh, facilitating the movement of goods through the route and improving connectivity for the northeastern region.
Nandi said the route could also improve access for other northeastern states, Nepal and Bhutan.
However, he did not specify a timeline for the opening of the Sabroom land port or provide details of the items covered by the DGFT restrictions.
He was speaking at a meeting with business representatives and exporter-importer bodies in Agartala.