Trade between Bangladesh and Myanmar through the Teknaf land port has remained suspended for two months. The cross-border trade, launched in 1995 to discourage smuggling along the frontier, has been disrupted for over a year and a half due to ongoing clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State between government forces and the armed Arakan Army.
Stakeholders say that with legal trade halted, goods worth millions of taka are being smuggled through 33 illegal border routes. Meanwhile, products worth crores stored in the port’s warehouses are at risk of damage, and the government is losing approximately Tk 1.2 billion in monthly revenue.
Hasan Masud Munshi, Customs Officer at the Teknaf land port, noted that from January to April this year, around 4,238 tonnes of cement and 3,174 tonnes of potatoes were exported to Rakhine State. “With cross-border trade halted, the government is losing about Tk 40 million in revenue every day,” he said.
On Thursday, several importers, exporters, and traders met with Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salahuddin, seeking government intervention to resolve the trade crisis.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the Arakan Army currently controls large parts of Myanmar’s Rakhine State. “To address this crisis, we need input from the border guard, law enforcement agencies, and relevant departments,” he said, adding that a meeting with all stakeholders is planned for August 8 to find a solution to resume operations at the port.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Collected
