Trade through Benapole suspended since morning

Trade through Benapole port has remained suspended since Sunday morning, as five organisations of the port users have went for an indefinite strike demanding withdrawal of cases filed by the customs authority and resumption of the licences of the clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents.

Thanks to the strike, thousands of trucks carrying perishable goods got stranded on both sides of the port.

Earlier, the customs authorities seized banned goods, including phencidyl, explosives and cigarettes, brought in by Indian trucks with the declaration that the trucks contain denim products.

Onanta Fashion Ltd and IDES Group Ltd are the importers of the products that were brought in using duty-free bond licence facilities.

On last Wednesday, the customs authorities suspended licences of two C&F agents and filed a case against C&F employee Shamsul Islam with the Beanpole Port Police Station.

Different organisations of the Beanpole port users have claimed that Indian C&F agents of the consignments were involved in the crime and the licence cancellation and the filing of case against Alam are not justified.

On March 3 morning, they started protesting against the move.