Karimganj export-import body stops further trading with Bangladesh

A Correspondent

Silchar: The Karimganj District Export and Import Coordination Team stopped all sorts of trading with Bangladesh from today in protest against the torture of the Hindus in the neighbouring country. Shibaji Chowdhury, one of the spokespersons, said that since August they had been witnessing systematic humiliations of the minorities in Bangladesh, and the torture culminated with the unprovoked arrest of Chinmoy Brahmachari, a Hindu religious leader of Chittagong. "In this backdrop, our Coordination Team, a platform of four export-import trader organisations, had unanimously decided to stop business with the neighbouring country for an indefinite period', Chowdhury said.

Karimganj, which had recently been renamed 'Sribhumi,' is a revenue-generating district from export and import through both of its land and riverine borders with Bangladesh. Amaresh Roy, a leading exporter of coal, said the amount of export and import in the last year was estimated roughly at around Rs 600 crores. "We usually export coal, limestone, rice, ginger, fruits, aloe vera, and some other items. Coal, limestone, and rice are being exported through the Sutarkandi land port, and one can gauge the quantum of trading from a single fact that in the last year the Land Port Authority of India earned Rs 2.80 cr. only from levy, warehousing, and weighbridge," Roy said.

Shibaji Choudhury, on the other hand, said that altogether 200 traders were involved in export and import in this bordering district. Apart from them, limestone traders of Meghalaya were also largely dependent on exports through the Sutarkandi land port. Further innumerable numbers of labourers, vehicle drivers, porters, and even tea stall or dhaba owners earned their livelihoods through this export-import trading. "The loss is huge. But despite our financial loss, we can no longer tolerate the torture the Hindus are subjected to in Bangladesh. It's high time it should stop," maintaining this, Choudhury said they had appealed to both the Centre as well as the state governments to step in at this crucial juncture.

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