Import of wheat has started again through Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria. On Monday afternoon, 1000 tons of wheat arrived at the port in 47 trucks through the Agartala-Akhaura border. 12 trucks of wheat have been handed over from the port to the importing company till 5 pm on Tuesday.

After investigation, it is known that no shipment of wheat has entered Bangladesh through Akhaura land port since May 30 of this year after the Indian government banned the export of wheat. In this, more than 14 thousand tons of wheat opened in LC (letter of credit) in India before the ban got stuck there. Later the Government of India lifted the ban but due to heavy rains and floods in various states of India, road and rail connectivity between Agartala and Tripura state was cut off. Due to this, wheat cars could not come to Agartala.

According to Akhaura land port sources, Akhaura is basically an export-oriented land port. Import of wheat through this port started for the first time on August 2 last year. Then in the first shipment, 1 thousand 320 tons of wheat came to the country in 67 trucks. Then in May this year, another one and a half lakh tons of wheat reached the port.

Meanwhile, 1000 tons of wheat reached Akhaura port in 47 trucks from last Monday afternoon to evening as road and rail communication in India is operational. Each truck carries 21 to 22 tonnes of wheat. A company named ‘Ms. Sharda Traders’ of Tangail imports this wheat from India. The C&F agent of Akhaura land port ‘Adnan Trade International’ accepted them on behalf of that company in Tangail. Today from 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the workers of a contractor company named ‘Drop Communication’ in Dhaka are working to transfer wheat from Indian trucks to Bangladeshi trucks.

Tarapad Das, the representative of Messrs. Sharda Traders, said that his company signed an agreement with an Indian company to import 2500 tons of wheat. For this LC was opened before 12 May. But due to heavy rains and floods, import of wheat stopped. 1 thousand tons of wheat arrived in Akhaura in the first shipment of the contract yesterday. The rest of the wheat will arrive in a few days.

Akhtar Hossain, owner of Adnan Trade International, C&F agent of Akhaura Port, told Prothom Alo that the import of wheat has started again as road and rail communication with other states is normal. USD 355 per ton of wheat imported. Since the value of the dollar has increased against the rupee, the price of wheat in the market will not decrease much. Till afternoon, 20 to 25 trucks of wheat were unloaded from Indian trucks and loaded onto Bangladeshi trucks.

Shafiqul Islam, general secretary of the Akhaura Land Port Import-Export Association, told Prothom Alo that the price of these imported wheats is 355,000 US dollars. These wheat will be supplied to various districts including Brahmanbaria, Comilla, Feni, Bhairav.

Assistant Director of Akhaura Land Port Atiqul Islam told Prothom Alo that 12 trucks of wheat have been handed over. The port authority will collect port entry fee, weight fee, yard fee, document fee, location fee and other charges from the wheat trucks.