Tougher checks await B'desh garments at Indian seaports

Bangladeshi ready-made garments entering India through the two designated seaports from Saturday will also be subjected to rigorous inspections in retaliation to Dhaka adopting similar non-tariff barriers to curb Indian cotton yarn and rice imports, people aware of the development said on Sunday.

- Rajeev Jayaswal and Rezaul H Laskar

Land port restrictions and rigorous inspections at the two designated seaports will also help in curbing any possible dumping of cheaper Chinese goods through Bangladesh, they said, requesting anonymity. In a retaliatory move, New Delhi on Saturday restricted imports of key Bangladeshi goods only through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports, closing all land ports with immediate effect.

New Delhi was forced to retaliate after Dhaka started imposing non-tariff barriers (NTBs) for Indian goods in Bangladesh under the new regime headed by Muhammad Yunus, they said. As a result of Dhaka's actions, Indian exports to Bangladesh fell by 6.7% to $1.04 billion in February 2025 from $1.11 billion in February 2024.

The figure fell sharply next month by about 15% to $973.3 million (March 2025) as compared to $1.14 billion in March 2024, one of them said, citing government data.

Before the Saturday decision, India allowed entry of Bangladeshi merchandise through all land and seaports without undue restrictions, a second person said. Dhaka, however, imposed port restrictions on Indian goods entering Bangladesh. Indian goods could not enter the neighbouring country particularly through land routes bordering northeastern states, hampering their economies, he added.