India’s import restrictions reshape trade at Akhaura land port

The export scenario at Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria has changed significantly since India imposed restrictions on imports of several Bangladeshi products, leaving the port’s export trade largely dependent on fish shipments.
India imposed the restrictions on 17 May 2025, banning imports of products including ready-made garments, fruits and fruit-flavoured drinks, processed food, plastic products, yarn and yarn by-products, and furniture through the port.
Despite the restrictions remaining in place for more than a year, fish now accounts for around 70–80% of the annual exports through the port, making it the main source of export earnings.
Meanwhile, imports from India have fallen sharply, with no goods entering through the port from February to July in the 2025–26 fiscal year.
According to port sources, goods worth nearly Tk524.3 crore were exported through Akhaura in 2025–26, compared with Tk514.34 crore in 2024–25. Export earnings thus increased by Tk9.67 crore year-on-year. The main export items included frozen fish, cement, dried fish, flour and edible oil, with fish accounting for the largest share.
On the import side, goods worth Tk1.96 crore were imported from India in 2025–26, generating Tk71.32 lakh in government revenue. No imports were recorded from February to July of the fiscal year. In 2024–25, goods worth nearly Tk7.32 crore were imported through the port, generating Tk7.16 crore in revenue. The imported items included cumin, pulses, cashew nuts, rice and agarbatti.
Md Nisar Uddin Bhuiyan, acting president of the Akhaura Land Port C&F Agent Association, said the port was mainly dependent on exports and had been significantly affected by diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
“Different types of goods used to be exported through the port every day. If the restrictions are lifted, trade at the port will become much more vibrant,” he said.
Traders said Akhaura is primarily an export-oriented port and its trade has been affected by strained Bangladesh-India relations following the July uprising. The subsequent import restrictions further weakened the export of several products despite strong demand for Bangladeshi goods in Tripura.
The port serves as an important trade route to Agartala in India's northeastern state of Tripura, where Bangladeshi products have considerable demand.
Md Akter Hossain, a trader at the port, said import activities were expected to pick up as traders were trying to bring in products such as cumin in response to market demand. “Imports through the port are expected to increase. The process of bringing in some products, including cumin, is underway. If everything goes well, import activities will gain momentum,” he said.
He added that exports would also increase if India lifted the restrictions on the banned products.