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India on Friday banned imports of certain jute products and woven fabrics from Bangladesh through all land routes, permitting entry only via the Nhava Sheva seaport in Maharashtra, amid increasingly strained relations between the two nations.The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in a notification, said “Import from Bangladesh shall not be allowed from any land port on the India-Bangladesh border. However, it is allowed only through Nhava Sheva seaport.” It added, “Imports of certain goods from Bangladesh to India are regulated with immediate effect.”The restricted items include jute products, flax tow and waste, jute and other bast fibres, single and multiple jute yarns, woven fabrics of flax, and unbleached woven fabrics of jute, PTI reported.The DGFT clarified that these restrictions will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India to Nepal and Bhutan. However, re-exports of these products from Bangladesh to India via Nepal and Bhutan will not be allowed.This move marks the third such curtailment in recent months. On May 17, India imposed similar port restrictions on imports from Bangladesh, including ready-made garments and processed food items. Earlier on April 9, the government withdrew transshipment facilities previously extended to Bangladesh for exports to the Middle East and Europe, with exceptions made only for Nepal and Bhutan.The fresh restrictions come against the backdrop of controversial remarks made by Bangladesh’s interim head of government Muhammad Yunus during his visit to China—comments that drew criticism from Indian political leaders across party lines.Tensions have escalated in recent months as India expressed concern over Yunus’ failure to curb attacks on religious minorities, especially Hindus. The issue was reportedly discussed at a meeting of a parliamentary committee on Friday, which also flagged Bangladesh’s growing proximity with China and Pakistan, according to sources as quoted by PTI.Bangladesh is a significant competitor to India in the textile sector. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $12.9 billion in 2023–24, with India’s exports at $11.46 billion and imports at $2 billion.

Photo for representation.

NEW DELHI: India on Friday banned specific jute products and woven fabrics entering from Bangladesh via land routes. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification stating that these imports would only be permitted through the Nhava Sheva seaport.Previously on May 17, India had restricted port access for various Bangladeshi imports, including readymade garments and processed food items.The restricted items comprise jute products, single flax yarn, single yarn of jute, multiple folded, woven fabrics or flex, and unbleached woven fabrics of jute.This has come in response to growing tensions with Bangladesh’s interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. Earlier, India had implemented import restrictions on various products from Bangladesh, including a ban on readymade garments through land routes. The move allows garments to be imported only through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata ports, impacting a significant portion of Bangladesh’s $700 million garment exports to India.The Directorate General of Foreign Trade’s notification exempts fish, edible oil, LPG, and crushed stones from the restrictions. However, imports of several products through land customs stations and integrated check posts in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and West Bengal’s Changrabandha and Fulbari will be discontinued.The action comes as retaliation to Bangladesh’s recent restrictions on Indian yarn and rice imports. India had previously disallowed transit of Bangladesh garments meant for third-market exports, as these goods were taking up freight space at the expense of Indian products.The timing of these restrictions coincides with Yunus’ recent proposal for a comprehensive economic plan involving Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and India’s northeastern states.

An 8-year-old girl was swept in by heavy rains and fell into a sewer, but was found alive and unharmed seven hours later in Guizhou of China. She was attempting to rescue a lost shoe when the 8-year-old was swept away by “rushing waters” and ultimately fell into a drainage ditch, said a statement put out by firefighters, reported NBC News. The girl had apparently survived by holding onto a horizontal bar around 32 feet down in the sewage pipe, where she was trapped for seven hours, but showed no “obvious serious injuries” as per the statement. “This first-grade girl fought against the pitch-black darkness, coldness, and constant fear with amazing calmness and perseverance,” the statement added. “We give a thumbs-up to this brave girl.”Heavy rains have been lashing southern provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Hubei since June 17 in China, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Widespread flooding had claimed the lives of at least six people by Thursday and has forced thousands out of their homes as buildings and infrastructure collapsed. Around 49,000 residents have been evacuated in the Rongjiang County and 32,000 in the Congjiang County due to severe flooding, as per Xinhua. Water levels in at least 20 rivers have exceeded and have gone past the warning levels due to heavy rainfall as per the country’s ministry of water resources, reported Xinhua. On June 26, the Chinese government had launched a level III emergency response as it was forecasted that heavy rainfall could make landfall in that area, as reported by USA Today. The Chinese government has allocated 300 million yuan ($41 million) for disaster relief funds on Monday for areas that are severely distressed in the flooding. Authorities have warned people to stay alert of secondary damage of road collapses, landslides, and hydro-dam overflows as the hazardous surface runoff began to subside and efforts are underway to clear silt, and restore power and telecommunication networks.