Summary:
Kolkata: The nationwide bandh called by various trade unions had no major impact on the bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh as businesses through the Petrapole-Benapole route functioned normally on Wednesday. It was also reported that the Ghojadanga border, which is another route of trade between the two countries functioned normally and the bandh had no major impact on trade. Bangladesh is India's largest trade partner in the SAARC region comprising India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. However, the crossover of tourists through the Petrapole-Benapole route was low on Wednesday as many people entering India from Bangladesh got stranded at Petrapole as there was no adequate bus to ferry them. It may be mentioned here that trade through the Petrapole-Benapole route accounts for over 50 per cent of the bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh..