Amid India's ban on the export of onions, Bangladesh has imported as many as 3781 tonnes of onions under the already opened LCs (Letter of Credits), traders said.
Trucks laden with different verities of onions entered Dinajpur's Hili and Chapainawabganj's Sonamosjid land ports on Friday, report our correspondents.
On Sept 29, India banned the export of onions with immediate effect, skyrocketing the prices of onions in local markets. Bangladesh is one of the top three destinations for Indian onions.
India exported 2.2 million tonnes of fresh onions in the 2018-19 fiscal year ended on Mar 30, according to a Reuters report.
During the same time, Bangladesh imported 578,111 tonnes of onions from India, according to data compiled by India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
Import of onions, however, was put on a halt since the ban.
A consignment of around 1,500 tonne of onion loaded in nearly 70 trucks were stuck in the Indian side of the Hili land port due to the ban, our Hili Correspondent quoted the land port's exporter body chief Harun Ur Rashid.
"Since then, we opened talks with the Indian traders as these onions were to be imported under the already opened LCs," Harun said.
On Sept 30, a meeting was held at India's commerce ministry in line with the traders' talks.
On the next day, the Indian government allowed the country's traders to export onions under the LCs opened till Sept 29, he said.
Export, however, delayed for a couples of days to complete formalities.
On Friday, the customs authorities kept the port operating at the request of Indian traders even on the weekend, allowing the export, Harun said.
The onion-laden trucks started entering the Hili port around 12:30pm.
As many as 57 trucks carrying 946 tonnes of onions have been imported on Friday, our Correspondent quoted the port sources.
Imported onions are being sold at the price between Tk 55 and Tk 48 a kg.
Another consignment of at least 2,835 tonnes of onions loaded in 189 trucks entered Bangladesh from India on the day, our Chapainawabganj Correspondent quoted Sonamosjid land port official Mainul Islam.
These onion-laden trucks were stuck in India's Mohdipur land port, said Islam, an assistant manager of Panama Port Link Limited, which operates Sonamosjid land port.
Port exporters' body leader Rafuqul Islam said these onions were exported under the already opened LCs.
The trucks started entering the port at 12:30pm after these were stuck in India due to the country's lasts ban on the export of onions, he added.
The exported onions, however, have started rotting, said Mostak Ahmed, president Sonamasjid Customs Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents Association.