The move limits the entry of products such as ready-made garments and processed foods to specific seaports, an official press release by the Ministry stated
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has imposed immediate port restrictions on the import of several categories of goods from Bangladesh, following a directive issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
The move limits the entry of products such as ready-made garments and processed foods to specific seaports, an official press release by the Ministry stated.
Under the new directive, all kinds of ready-made garments from Bangladesh can now only be imported through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports, with entry through land ports no longer permitted.
Additionally, the import of items such as fruit-flavoured and carbonated drinks, processed food, cotton waste, PVC and plastic finished goods (except approved industrial inputs), and wooden furniture has been restricted at Land Customs Stations (LCSs) and Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and West Bengal’s Changrabandha and Fulbari.
The directive makes clear that imports of essential items like fish, LPG, edible oil, and crushed stone remain unaffected. Goods transiting through India from Bangladesh to Nepal and Bhutan are also exempt.
The restrictions come in the wake of remarks made by Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus during a speech in China, where he referred to India’s northeastern states as a “landlocked region with no access to the ocean.” Indian officials interpreted the comment as a challenge to the region’s connectivity and sovereignty, triggering a diplomatic backlash.
Officials in New Delhi have framed the decision as a corrective measure. One official told ANI, “Bangladesh cannot assume market access without reciprocity. For years, India extended concessions without equal returns. This decision restores balance.”
Previously, 93 per cent of Bangladesh’s exports to India moved through land ports in the Northeast. The new restrictions are expected to increase logistics costs for Bangladeshi exporters, especially those in the USD 740 million ready-made garment sector, which relies heavily on quick cross-border trade.
Indian authorities have expressed hope that the shift will offer new opportunities to local manufacturers, while also reinforcing the strategic importance of fair trade and regional economic stability.
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Women’s rights activists protest
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Meanwhile, thousands of Bangladeshi women’s rights activists on Friday gathered on Manik Mia Avenue near the Parliament building in Dhaka to demand equal rights and dignity for women.
The rally, held under the slogan “A march of solidarity at the call of women” (narira dake maitri yatra) aimed to protest against attempts to deprive women of their rights in the name of religion.
The protest follows a wave of anti-feminist sentiment in Bangladesh, sparked by controversy over the interim government’s Women’s Reform Commission recommendation to recognize sex workers as laborers.
Hardline Islamist groups opposed the move, making derogatory comments about women. The activists condemned recent statements that demeaned women and demanded equal rights and dignity. They expressed solidarity with the protest, emphasizing the importance of protecting women’s rights.
Bangladesh Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in a student-led uprising in August last year. Hasina fled to India and an interim government led-by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
“The interim government had formed a Women’s Reform commission. When the commission recommended recognizing sex workers as labour, hardlines Islamist political parties and groups opposed it. The made derogatory comments about women,” a transgender activist said.
“I have come to express solidarity with this protest for everyone’s rights,” the activist added. Women danced and sang to protest discrimination against women.
After the iron fist rule of Sheikh Hasina came to an end, women’s reforms took a back seat. Bangladeshi writer and activist Taslima Nasreen strongly criticized the interim government, highlighting atrocities against women and the rise of Islamic terrorism. She called for quick elections and questioned the legitimacy of the current government.
“It’s not just violence against women in the country. Theft, robbery, terror, rape, murder is all going on. That means law enforcement is not doing anything. So I think elections should be held quickly and the political party that comes into power is in power. It’s good that they run the country. Because this government is illegal, and this government has no right to run the country,” she said.
Voicing against religious extremism and emphasising values of secularism, women’s rights and freedom of speech, she has been at the receiving end of extremist elements in Bangladesh. Nasreen alleged that Islamic terrorism is targeting not just women but also those associated with the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League.
