Drivers and their assistants of 183 Indian trucks blocked a road in Hili land port for an hour yesterday noon, demanding offloading of 7,228 tonnes of rice they had brought in almost a month ago.

This rice imported from India on June 5 and 6 through the port in Hakimpur upazila could not be offloaded due to duty complexities, said rice importers.

The blockade disrupted trade yesterday.

Police said the drivers and helpers of the trucks took position in front of customs office in the port area around 1:00pm and blocked the road.

Kartik Chandra, general secretary of Hili (Indian) Transport Workers Union, alleged that the 183 trucks got stranded in Hili as the rice was yet to be unloaded.

Usually, drivers and helpers of trucks return home within three days but they have been stuck there for almost a month.

He demanded immediate offloading of the rice.

Sohrab Hossain, public relations officer of Hili, declined to comment.

According to customs authorities in Hili, around 12,228 tonnes of rice was imported from India under letters of credit (LC) on June 5 and 6, when the duty on the imports was two percent.

Of the rice, 5,000 tonnes got customs clearance. But the customs authorities did not give clearance to the remaining rice soon after budget of fiscal year 2018-19 was announced on June 7, raising the duty to 28 percent. 

Rezaul Islam, a rice importer, said importers had to pay duty under fresh rate. “That rice was imported before the announcement of budget of fiscal year 2018-19. So, why should we have to pay the new duty?” 

Harun Ur Rashid, president of Importers and Exporters Group of Hili, said they appealed to customs and the National Board of Revenue, but the NBR and custom authorities were yet to decide on the matter.

Rice import through the port has remained suspended since June 9, he said.

He said the huge amount of rice left under the open sky inside the port premises could be damaged.