Stone imports halt at Sonahat port over syndication claims

Bangladeshi importers have suspended stone imports from India through Sonahat Land Port in Kurigram, protesting alleged substandard supplies, higher prices and reduced shipments by a syndicate of stone traders in Golakganj, Assam.

The indefinite suspension has brought port operations to a standstill since mid-July, leaving thousands dependent on port-related services without work and depriving the government of customs revenue.

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Aminul Haque, assistant director (traffic) of Sonahat Land Port, said around 100 Indian trucks carrying stones normally enter the port each day, but imports have remained suspended amid a dispute between traders in the two countries.

“Sonahat Land Port earns more than Tk 4 crore in revenue on average every month. Not a single truck loaded with stone has arrived from India since July 18. As a result, no revenue has been generated,” he said.

Only stone is imported from India through the port, and export trade has not yet started, Aminul said.

Importers said Indian suppliers previously provided high-quality river stone boulders but are now sending smaller and lower-grade stones.

“We do not want to incur losses by importing substandard stones. Imports will remain suspended until quality products are supplied at reasonable prices,” said Abu Hena Masum, joint secretary of the Sonahat Land Port Importers and Exporters Association.

The stones fail to meet required size and quality standards after being processed through auto-crushing machines, making contractors involved in road, bridge and other infrastructure projects reluctant to buy them, he said.

Jahangir Alam Akmal, convener of the Sonahat Land Port Customs Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents Association, said the influence of syndicates in India’s stone trade had increased.

Stone prices have also risen significantly, he said. River stones were previously imported at $11 per tonne, with the total landed cost in Bangladesh at about Tk 1,300 per tonne. The price has now increased to $13.5 per tonne, taking the import cost to around Tk 1,670 per tonne.

Jahangir also said stones were being loaded directly from quarries, resulting in excessive amounts of sand and soil being mixed with the shipments and increasing the risk of financial losses.

The suspension has left stone-crushing workers, loading and unloading labourers, truck drivers, transport workers and small traders in the area idle.

Soharab Hossain, a stone importer at Sonahat Land Port, said, “I had 700 tonnes of stone in stock, but all of it has already been sold. I do not have any stone left to sell. Although traders from different places have been contacting me to buy stone, I am unable to supply them.”

“When trucks loaded with stone arrive from India, the port remains busy and bustling with activity. But as no stone is coming now, the port almost seems haunted. I do not know when this deadlock will end,” he added.

Mofizul Islam, a loading and unloading worker at the port, said, “We have no work because no stones are arriving. We used to earn between Tk 700 and Tk 1,000 a day. Now we have to borrow money to support our families, and some workers are even taking high-interest loans.

“If this situation continues, we will be forced to look for other jobs.”

Another worker, Hamidul Islam, said more than 3,000 labourers were directly involved in stone unloading, crushing and related activities at the port. With imports suspended, all crushing machines have stopped operating, leaving most workers unemployed.

Truck driver Mizanur Rahman said transporting imported stones used to be his primary source of income. “Now the trucks remain idle, and our earnings have dropped sharply,” he said.

Traders and officials remain hopeful that the dispute will be resolved, although they are unsure when.

“We hope operations will return to normal once the problem is resolved,” the port’s assistant director Aminul said.

“It is not possible to say for certain when the deadlock at the land port will end. However, local traders at the port are maintaining regular communication with their Indian counterparts.”

“Discussions are underway between traders from both countries, and imports will resume once the issue is resolved,” Jahangir Alam Akmal said.