Blockade hits border trade

The government has been incurring heavy revenue losses over the last week with the country's export-import through the major land ports badly disrupted due to the BNP-led combine's indefinite blockade since January 6.

Several hundred goods-laden Indian trucks remain stuck at Benapole, Sonamasjid and Hili Land Ports as required number of Bangladeshi trucks could not get there for unloading goods due to the blockade that has left several trucks torched and vandalised over the past few days.

The authorities, however, have continued their efforts to keep the ports functional by providing police protection to the goods-laden trucks.

Escorted by police vehicles, a small number of trucks transported goods to different destinations on the seventh day of the blockade yesterday.

One more life was lost to violence yesterday with pro-blockade activists exploding crude bombs and carrying out arson attacks and vandalism in several districts.

The victim Atiqur Rahman, 22, was a truck helper who received injuries to the head by pro-blockade pickets in Noakhali on January 7. He died at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 11:00am yesterday.

At least 18 vehicles were torched yesterday; nine of them were in Dhaka and adjoining districts, according to fire service and police officials.

In the capital miscreants torched vehicles at Gulistan's Golap Shah Majarm, Tejgaon's Nabisko Intersection, Bangshal's Nababpur Road, Mirpur-11, Karwanbazar, and in front of Bashundhara Residential Area gate.

Two vehicles were torched in Tongi and three in Comilla and one each in Savar, Narayanganj, Tongi, Chapainawabganj, Manikganj, Gaibandha, Chittagong and Tangail, fire service officials said.

Protesting arrest of party leaders and confinement of party chief Khaleda Zia, the BNP has called a daylong hartal today in Bogra, Noakhali and Sunamganj.

Although launch service was normal yesterday, trains ran behind schedules fearing acts of sabotage on rail trakcs allegedly by pro-blockade pickets. The number of long route buses saw an increase, yet people had to suffer for want of vehicles in many districts.

Meanwhile, the government yesterday issued a circular instructing BGB authority to deploy its forces in 22 districts and Dhaka Metropolitan Police areas, said Habibur Rahman, a deputy secretary of the home ministry.

"49 platoons of BGB men will be deployed in 16 districts including Gazipur, Bogra, Chapainawabganj and Brahmanbaria and another 10 platoons in Dhaka Metropolitan Police areas," he said, adding that BGB personnel in six other districts would be deployed if necessary.

Earlier on January 6, the ministry in another circular instructed the Ansar and VDP authorities to deploy their personnel along rail tracks, which were vulnerable to attack, in different districts. 

Unloading disrupted at land ports

At Sonamasjid Land Port under Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj, around 250 goods-laden Indian trucks remain stranded, reports our Chapainawabganj correspondent.

"Bangladeshi importers and Indian truckers have been suffering immensely for the disruption of port activities," said Nurul Bashir, assistant commissioner of Sonamasjid Land Port Customs.

During a visit to the port on Sunday, the Indian truckers showed this correspondent how their perishable goods like ginger, onions started rotting. They said these products should be offloaded immediately.

Meanwhile, Indian exporters have stopped sending trucks at the Sonamasjid land port following requests of Bangladeshi importers, sources said.

Nurul Bashir said due to the blockade the government was losing Tk 2 crore revenue every day from the port as no truck from India had come to Bangladesh in the last two days.

Benapole, the largest land port in the country, has counted losses worth Tk 19 crore only in the first three days since January 6, our Benapole correspondent reports.

Usually 300 to 400 trucks carrying goods leave the port every day whereas only 95 trucks left the port on January 6, 168 on January 7 and 308 on January 9, said Abdul Jalil, assistant director, Benapole land port authority.

The warehouses at the land port are also facing troubles in offloading imported goods since the space available for storing goods has already been occupied, he added.

Aminul Haque, vice president of Benapole Importers and Exporters Association, said: "The port is now facing traffic congestion due to poor delivery facilities as importers are not being able to unload their goods. With assistance from law enforcement agencies, though, a few trucks carried goods to their destinations."

Though the Benapole port has capacity for accommodating 38,000 metric tonnes of goods, it has already stored 50,000 metric tonnes as of yesterday while 100 more Indian trucks are still waiting to be unloaded, said sources.

Pickets set fire on an onion-loaded truck in Malonchi area of Jessore early yesterday. None was injured in the incident. 

Import activities through the Hili land port in Dinajpur are also facing similar setbacks in the face of the countrywide blockade, reports our Dinajpur Correspondent.

Port officials in Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur said nearly 245 trucks with imported goods could not be offloaded for space shortage.

Usually 140 to 150 trucks enter the country every day through the port, but the number has gone down to 40 to 50 which is likely to decrease further, they said.

Mohibul Rahman Bhuiyan, assistant commissioner, Hili Land Port customs, said achieving the revenue target would not be possible if such blockade continued for long.

At least 17 trucks and one bus were torched in the last three days. Of those, 10 trucks were torched in Dinajpur alone and seven in Joypurhat, police sources said.