Bangladesh asks India to lift restrictions on trade through land ports — NDTV
Bangladesh, during the 16th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade in New Delhi, asked India to lift restrictions on exports of Bangladeshi goods through land ports. The delegation of 10 representatives was led by Ayesha Akhter, Additional Secretary of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Commerce, NDTV reports.
Bangladesh’s demands
Dhaka also called on India to remove anti-dumping duties on Bangladeshi jute products and PET film. A separate demand was to retain tariff preferences after Bangladesh graduates from the category of least developed countries.
At the meeting, which began on October 8, the Bangladeshi side asked for a review of the current restrictions on its goods entering India through land border crossings, as well as the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers to access the Indian market.
Restrictions introduced by India
In May 2025, India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade introduced new port restrictions on imports of certain goods from Bangladesh. In particular, imports of ready-made garments from Bangladesh were permitted only through the seaports of Nava Sheva and Kolkata. The Indian side then described this as a reciprocal measure in response to Bangladesh’s trade restrictions on Indian yarn and rice.
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In June 2025, India banned imports of jute from Bangladesh through land ports on the shared border. According to the directorate’s notification, the restrictions applied to all land and seaports except the port of Nava Sheva in Mumbai. These decisions affected bilateral trade, primarily at border land ports.
India’s proposals
India has not yet made a decision on Bangladesh’s requests. At the same time, New Delhi proposed restoring the operation of border markets, integrated check posts and land customs stations that had been closed earlier.
The Indian side also proposed lifting restrictions on supplies of cotton yarn and other goods to Bangladesh through certain land ports. The sides discussed improving the efficiency of trade routes, including the Agartala–Akhaura connection, developing rail links and resolving issues related to border markets.
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