Importers at Hili land port have called on the government to continue allowing onion imports to stabilize supply and keep prices under control. They also demanded that the requirement of a minimum 30-ton consignment under the Import Permit (IP) system be lifted, warning that otherwise imports would come to a halt.

The appeal was made on Wednesday morning (August 20) at an emergency press conference held at the office of the Hili Land Port Import-Export Group.

Speakers at the briefing said the government opened IPs for onion imports on August 14, which enabled imports to resume through Hili from August 17. That boosted supply and helped bring down prices in the domestic market. But since Tuesday, August 19, the government has stopped issuing fresh IPs, leaving importers unable to bring in new shipments. Many traders are now facing financial losses.

They added that after IPs were opened, a large number of importers purchased onions from India and loaded them onto trucks. As it takes five to six days for these trucks to arrive from Indian markets to the Bangladesh border, many vehicles are still in transit. Several importers have more than 100 onion-laden trucks stuck in India because the sudden suspension of IPs has prevented them from entering Bangladesh. If the situation continues, importers warned, they will suffer heavy financial damage.

Importers urged that at least those who have already applied for IPs and purchased onions in India be allowed to complete their shipments.

The press conference was attended by Shahidul Islam, vice president of the Hili Land Port Import-Export Group; Nazmul Haque, its general secretary; importer Ripon Hossain; and others.