AGARTALA, Oct 19 (TIWN): The import-export business and transportation of goods between India and Bangladesh is called off fromMonday due to the auspicious occasion of durga puja and is scheduled to resume business from 29 of this month.

Akhaura Land port business is scheduled to remain suspended for 10 days due to the holy festival of durga puja.

Import export will remain close for ten days and if all goes well the business will be resumed on 29 of this month.

The festival of Durga puja is for all, and even the workers also call off from their duty due to puja holidays and keeping in mind the occasion of Durga puja it is decided to suspend the Import export business for ten days.

However, there will be supply of fish in the state on 21 and 22 October of this month as the end of the Durga puja marks the celebration with fish.  Keeping in view the demand of the fish in the state on the day of Dashami there will only transportation of fish through Akhaura Land port.

The suspension of import and export from both the sides will create a state of irregularity among the traders as Akhaura land port is considered as one of the State's most busy and used station for inward and outward trade with the neighbouring Bangladesh

All the major markets of Tripura depend on the import of fish from Bangladesh, so there is possibility that measures might be taken to continue the supply of fish to the state as fish comes in smaller vehicles but the movement of heavy goods loaded truck will remain suspended.

The Akhaura land custom station has been mainly dealing with import business from Bangladesh for catering the domestic need of fish, edible items, melamine and toiletries, ready-made garments and stones chips in Tripura, but the suspension of formal trade will badly affect the state markets.

Sources in the Agartala Export-Import Association said that the border trade with Bangladesh along erstwhile Akhaura check-post had severely hit since the devolution of the Indian rupee vs. Dollar price. The situation was further aggravated with the advent of political turmoil in Bangladesh as daily importfrom Bangladesh came down from the average of Rs. 1.5 crore to Rs. 15-20 lakh.

According to the experts there is lots of possibility to take the international trade policy. International trade between India and Bangladesh started from 1995-96. Before international trade it was illegal trade. At present there are eight land custom stations in Tripura. These are Agartala, Sonamura, Belonia, Muhuripur, Khowai, Dhalaighat, Manughat, and Raghnaghat.