Unloading now at Akhaura

Goods for transit to India will now be unloaded at Akhaura Land Port instead of India's Agartala, as per a revised decision of the government.
Bangladeshi trucks will carry the goods from Ashuganj River Port to Akhaura Land Port from where the goods will be loaded on Indian trucks and taken to Agartala.
In an earlier move, the government had directed that the goods be unloaded at Agartala.
This, however, stirred the grievances of Akhaura Land Port authorities and Bangladeshi labourers because loading and unloading of goods inside the country benefits both the port and labourers.
Hamidur Rahman, a superintendent of Akhaura Land Port, told The Daily Star last night that he received instructions from higher authorities yesterday allowing unloading of goods at Akhaura port yard.
He said two trucks carrying goods arrived at the land port yesterday but were not sent across the border to Agartala.
Meanwhile, 284 tonnes of galvanised steel sheets branded as trial transit goods were sent to Agartala yesterday. Some 150 tonnes of steel sheets remain at Akhaura port. These were brought by the Bangladeshi vessel Gulf-4 from Kolkata to Ashuganj as part of the second trial transit.
All sheets brought during the first trial of transit goods by Indian vessel Homi Baba have already been sent to Agartala.
Both these trial transit goods were unloaded at Akhaura Land Port.
A third ship, Bangladesh's MV Nilkantha, reached Ashuganj river port on September 29 with 621 tonnes of iron bars from Kolkata. These goods were marked as transit/transshipment goods.
Their transport was however delayed as there was confusion among port officials whether they should be unloaded at Akhaura or Agartala. Finally they were sent to Agartala.