Bustling Petrapole border belies faltering India-Bangladesh trade

At first glance, the Petrapole land port — a vital gateway for trade between India and Bangladesh, about 80 km from Kolkata — appears to be a hive of activity.

- ISHITA AYAN DUTT

Trucks are lined up at the newly constructed eight-lane cargo gate, Maitri Dwar, awaiting clearance to cross the border. Vehicles arriving from Bangladesh are being unloaded, while those that have delivered imports wait to turn around.

But behind the bustle lies a more sobering reality: Cross-border trade is quietly dwindling amid strained ties between the two neighbours.

According to sources at the Petrapole land port, around 9,400 export cargo vehicles moved from Petrapole to Benapole in Bangladesh in March. Inbound traffic, meanwhile, saw around 4,100 trucks crossing into India. By April, those numbers had slipped to about 8,500 export trucks and just 3,200 import trucks.

The downtrend in cargo movement closely mirrors the state of geopolitical relations and recent trade developments following a regime change in Dhaka. The business community, however, had long read the signs and started bracing for impact.

Taking guard

When the Sheikh Hasina government fell in August 2024 and Muhammad Yunus assumed charge as chief advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, there was a brief surge in trade — businesses moved fast, anticipating regulatory crackdowns. The result: Petrapole in 2024-25 reported the highest cargo movement in five years.