Apparel exports from Bangladesh have increased through India's Delhi airport. About 90,000 tons of goods were exported through Delhi airport from January to March - 9 percent of which were Bangladeshi products. Earlier this amount was less than 2 percent.

Indian exporters say that this is causing a congestion at the cargo terminal at Delhi airport. They want their products to be prioritized. Also saying that they are being forced to take up space by paying extra duty for their export products. Top organizations of Indian exporters have already discussed the matter with the Ministry of Commerce of India.

Earlier, a part of Bangladeshi garments were exported to various countries including Europe and USA through Kolkata Airport from Dhaka. Last year i.e. from 2023 the export of Bangladeshi garments through Kolkata airport stopped and it went to Delhi.

The quantity of garments exported to Bangladesh through Delhi has increased since January this year. However, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association BGMEA says that the demand of Indian exporters is very unreasonable. Because, only a small part of Bangladesh's garment export goes through India. As a result, there should not be a 'congestion of goods' at the Delhi airport due to their products.

In fact, Delhi is a very big airport, cargo flights of all airlines arrive there, and the management is also good. So the Bangladeshi companies moved to Delhi.

An export agent at the Delhi airport said on condition of anonymity that around 30 trucks loaded with garments made from Bangladesh arrive at the Delhi airport cargo terminal every night. There they have to wait, because they can't release the goods unless they are checked by customs.

A portion of Indian exporters is demanding that a 'landing charge' be levied on Bangladeshi-made garment products being sent to Western countries through the Delhi airport. As a result, additional duty will be imposed on Bangladeshi export products, which will reduce the export of Bangladeshi products through India.

In this regard, Chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council Sudhir Sekhri said, if landing charges are imposed on Bangladeshi products, it will not benefit Indian exporters. It will cost the Bangladeshi exporters more, but we will not benefit from it. The landing charge will go to the airport authority.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) director Mohiuddin Rubel said, "As far as I know, only a small part of Bangladesh's garment products export through India. But for that, there will be problems in the export of Indian goods or there will be a congestion of goods at the airport, which is not supposed to happen.”

But if this is actually the case, then instead of demanding extra landing charges on Bangladeshi products, they should talk about increasing the capacity of the airport, he added.