Bangladesh has resumed importing coal from India after a court of the neighbouring country lifted a ban on the export, which had been suspended by another court order on environment grounds, temporarily recently.
The import first resumed through Tamabil Land Customs Station on Thursday, and then it followed suit at other stations in a gap of two days, said Commissioner of Customs Excise & Vat, Sylhet, Md Shafiqul Islam said Sunday.
Due to the suspension of the imports of the items from the India states of Meghalaya and Assam, the country has suffered a huge loss as the government earns Tk 2.0 billion annually in revenues, he said.
About 90 truckloads of Indian coal entered Bangladesh through the Tamabil land customs station until afternoon on Thursday, the commissioner added. Most brick kilns depend on Indian coal. Besides, it has other uses in the country.
The resumption of the coal import, said Sylhet Coal Importers and Traders Group president Md Emdad Hossain, has provided traders and importers and labourers a sigh of relief in the region.
As well as hundreds of people engaged in trading and importing coal and lime from India through eight land stations in the Sylhet division, more than 5000 labourers have been engaged in loading and unloading them there.
