(MENAFN) India has implemented a ban on several categories of goods being imported from Bangladesh via land, effective immediately. The ban includes garments, processed foods, plastics, and wood furniture, as announced by New Delhi's Ministry of Commerce on Saturday. However, imports from Bangladesh will still be allowed through sea ports like Nhava Sheva in western India and Kolkata, which is located near Bangladesh. Following the ban, at least 36 trucks carrying ready-made garments from Bangladesh were stranded at the Benapole customs point.

Bangladeshi officials, including Mamun Kabir Tarafdar, deputy director of the Benapole Land Port Authority, expressed confusion, stating they had not received any official notification from the Indian government.

This move comes about a month after Bangladesh imposed restrictions on Indian yarn imports via land, prompting India to respond by ending the facility that allowed Bangladesh to use its land routes and ports for exporting goods to third countries, excluding Nepal and Bhutan.

The decision to impose the ban is tied to India's strained relations with Bangladesh, partly due to the ousting of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Additionally, India has been displeased with comments made by Bangladesh’s interim government chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, during a meeting in Beijing, where he referred to India’s northeastern states as landlocked and emphasized Bangladesh’s role as a regional trade and logistics partner to China.

During a meeting with Yunus in April, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India's intention to foster a positive relationship with Bangladesh but stressed the importance of avoiding statements that could harm bilateral ties. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported goods worth approximately $1.57 billion to India, with garments making up a significant portion of this trade. Most of these exports are transported through land ports.

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