Tripura traders welcome ban on import of 6 B'deshi products

Agartala: All Tripura Merchant Association welcomed the Directorate General of Foreign Trade's (DGFT) decision to ban the import of six Bangladeshi products and said the ban would in no way affect India.

Association's president Tusar Kanti Chakraborty said, "Rather, it will impact the Bangladesh economy, as all the listed products have been manufactured of better quality in our country. We imported them from Bangladesh because of geographical proximity to reduce carrying time."

He further said import-export business with Bangladesh have been affected since last Aug after the departure of Hasina govt. Indian authorities and trade bodies were desperate to maintain the relation with Bangladesh, but after the recent statement of its chief advisor Muhammad Yunus in China, there was no point in being with them, Chakraborty said.

DGFT under the ministry of commerce issued a ban on imports of ready-made garments, processed food items (chips, snacks, and biscuits), rubber products, plastic goods and wooden furniture from Bangladesh through Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam, and West Bengal on Saturday.

However, the restrictions excluded essential commodities like fish, LPG, edible oils, and crushed stone, which will continue to be allowed entry into India.