Backward classes welfare minister Jogesh Burman at the Bangladesh pavilion of the fair on Tuesday. A Telegraph picture

Siliguri, Dec. 26: Representatives of Bangladeshi companies, who have come to participate in the Second East Himalayan Expo being held here, have accused the Indian customs department of harassment.

The Bangladeshis alleged that officials at the Changrabandha land customs station had detained them for over 12 hours on December 24, the day of their arrival. Several times, in the name of inspection and verification of documents, they were made to open their luggage and show the goods they were carrying.

“ We were surprised at their behaviour and attitude,” said Nurun Nahar Baby, a member of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “They detained us, repeatedly checked our documents and the goods we were carrying, and took hours to allow us to enter India.”

The Bangladeshi business community, which has been invited by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation and Focin, a trade body based in north Bengal, vented their anger on the fair ground itself.

“We visit many countries regularly to attend fairs or for exporting our items but have never faced such harassment. If this is the attitude of the customs officials who represent the Indian government at the borders, there are serious doubts as to how bilateral trade could be enhanced,” said Aslam, another trader from Bangladesh.

Though the traders refused to speak further, sources said some of the customs officials at Changrabandha had even demanded bribes.

Biswajit Das, the general secretary of Focin, has condemned the customs action.

“We have apologised to the traders and have decided to take up the issue with senior customs officials,” he said.

Senior officials of the customs department, including joint commissioner Debasish Sahu, who is in charge of north Bengal, could not be contacted despite repeated phone calls. But a senior official said if there is a specific complaint, it would be probed.