Import of onion from India begins after remaining suspended for long three and a half months.

Following the withdrawal of ban on export by the Indian government, some 290.80 metric tonnes of onion arrived from India through the Bhomra Land Port in Satkhira sadar upazila in just two and a half hours on Saturday.

As many as 11 large trucks loaded with onion entered Bhomra Land Port of Bangladesh from Gojadanga Land Port at Basirhat of West Bengal in India between 4:00pm and 6:30pm. However, no duty of the imported onion was taken.

Bhomra Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association’s treasurer Maksud Khan said though 30 trucks with onion were scheduled to arrive at Bhomra Land Port on Saturday, only 11 trucks came. “We expect that 50-60 trucks will arrive with onion on Sunday,” he said.

Bhomra Land Port revenue officer Akbar Ali said 11 trucks loaded with onion arrived from India between 4:00pm and 6:30pm at the land port. The trucks brought 290.80 MT of onion. However, no import duty was taken from these onion.

Akbar Ali said the government withdrew duty on import of onion in the wake of unusual price hike of onion in the country’s markets during the height of coronavirus pandemic. The decision is still in force, he added.

It may be mentioned that the Indian government imposed ban on export of onion on September 14 last year. Later, the ban was withdrawn on November 29. Following the withdrawal of ban, it was for the first time that the first shipment of 290.80 MT of onion arrived in the country from India on Saturday.

SZA