Bangladesh Sent Garments to 36 Nations via India

Between January 2024 and March 2025, Bangladesh exported garments worth around Tk5,640 crore (approximately USD 462 million) to 36 countries using Indian road transit. This averaged about Tk376 crore in exports every month.

The garments were transported by truck through India’s West Bengal to ports and airports for onward shipment to third countries. However, India’s sudden suspension of this transshipment facility has thrown this export route into uncertainty.

Industry insiders noted that routing shipments via Kolkata Airport saved exporters between 50 cents and 1 US dollar per kilogram compared to air freight from Dhaka, while also helping them avoid congestion at Shahjalal International Airport. The removal of this route is now adding pressure to Bangladesh’s apparel sector.

Transit facility revoked: Exporters alarmed

India first allowed Bangladesh to use its territory for third-country shipments under its “Ease of Doing Business” initiative on 29 June 2020. Under this arrangement, goods crossed through Benapole-Petrapole to Kolkata’s Dumdum Airport or seaports. But on 9 April, India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) abruptly revoked the facility.

The impact was immediate. On the same day, four trucks loaded with garments from three Bangladeshi companies—destined for Spain—were stopped at Benapole after Indian customs at Petrapole refused entry, forcing the shipments to return.

Export volumes underline the scale

Data from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) shows that between January 2024 and March 2025, Bangladesh shipped around 34,909 metric tons of garments via this transshipment route, valued at approximately Tk5,640 crore (USD 462 million).

The use of Indian land routes via Benapole-Petrapole had become an important logistical option for Bangladesh’s garment exporters, offering significant cost and time savings. With the suspension in place, exporters are now bracing for higher shipping costs and logistical bottlenecks.