Trade thru' Benapole halts for Indian truckers' strike

Cross-border movement of goods through the Benapole port has remained suspended since yesterday morning for a strike called by Indian transport workers demanding the release of a truck seized by Bangladeshi law enforcers on charge of arms smuggling.

Customs, Border Guard Bangladesh and police officials said to have discovered a gun and two bullets raiding the truck in the port's terminal designated for Indian vehicles on November 9. A case was filed.

Some 200 trucks are queued in Bangladesh while 6,000-7,000 on the Indian side of the port waiting to offload items, including rice and perishable commodities.

Most of the raw materials used by the country's industries and garment factories are imported through the port.