The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers Association (BKMEA) has written to the interim government seeking diplomatic intervention to suspend the Indian government's restrictions on the import of Bangladeshi ready-made garments (Bangladesh exports) through land ports for three months.
The request was made to the Ministry of Commerce in a letter signed by the organization's president Mohammad Hatem on Thursday.
The letter said that in several meetings with the government and our stakeholders regarding India's export ban, several strong recommendations were made to India to request it to suspend the implementation of the ban for at least three months. In addition, exemption from the ban can be sought for ongoing export orders.
It added, "Land ports play a vital role in bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh and significantly reduce transportation costs. About 80 per cent of export activities have been completed through Benapole land port in the last ten months, where ready-made garments worth Tk 12,811 crore have been exported. If the ban remains in place, more than Tk 8,000 crore of trade will be at risk and economic losses will occur.
Many exporters have opened LCs and are processing shipments. If the ban is implemented, it will lead to cancellation of these shipments, financial losses and long-term reputational damage. Therefore, in view of the above, we request you to take urgent steps to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels. In addition, it is requested to take necessary steps to persuade the Government of India to suspend the ban for at least three months or to exempt the ongoing export shipments from the ban."
On May 17, the Indian government banned the import of garments from Bangladesh via land routes. The order in this regard said that ready-made garments can be imported from Bangladesh only using India's Novo Sewa and Kolkata seaport. Apart from this, fruits, fruit-flavored drinks, soft drinks, processed food, plastic products, yarn, yarn by-products, furniture cannot be exported from Bangladesh through Land Customs Stations (LCS) or Integrated Check posts (ICPs) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in India. This will also be applicable for Changrabanda and Phulbari Customs Stations or LCS in West Bengal.
The BKMEA letter mentioned that in the high-level meeting held on May 18 under the initiative of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and on May 20 under the leadership of the Commerce Secretary, all the stakeholders reached a consensus that the Bangladesh government should hold urgent talks with India at the Secretary level.
