Manoj Kumar, the assistant high commissioner of India posted at Rajshahi in Bangladesh, paid a brief visit to the Changrabandha land port in Cooch Behar on Saturday.

The diplomat reached the zero point of the border by road from Bangladesh and was welcomed by Customs officers. Officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the integrated check post (ICP) were also present.

During his 15-minute visit, Kumar interacted with exporters and importers to understand the current state of cross-border trade. He later held discussions with Customs and ICP authorities and reviewed operational conditions and the overall situation at the border.

According to ICP officials, these days, the Changrabandha land port sees significant daily movement of goods.

On average, 250 to 300 trucks loaded with boulders and stones are exported from India to Bangladesh each day, along with occasional consignments of maize.

In contrast, around 30 to 40 trucks enter India daily from Bangladesh through the Changrabandha land port, carrying items such as cotton nets, fishing nets, and mosquito nets.

The visit has sparked fresh hope among the trading community at Changrabandha that continued bilateral dialogue could resolve bottlenecks and accelerate India-Bangladesh trade through the corridor.

“Around 13 items, including yarn, cigarettes, paper, milk powder, and electronic components like radio and television parts, are currently not permitted for export to Bangladesh. We have urged the assistant high commissioner to lift the restrictions,” said Manoj Kumar Kanu, the president of the Changrabandha Exporters’
Association.

Speaking on the visit, Kumar said discussions focused on strengthening ties between traders of India and Bangladesh and exploring ways to improve the cordial business environment.

“There are certain issues which the businessmen of both countries need to discuss and resolve. Necessary steps will be taken by the governments on other issues,”
he said.