Stone imports halt, 4,000 workers trapped in debt cycle

Piles of broken stones lie scattered across the Nakugaon Land Port in Sherpur. In a place that usually resonates with the constant sound of hammers, a heavy silence has now taken over.

Several workers sit under the shade of trees, waiting for work. Some pass the time on their mobile phones, while others stare down the distant road, hoping a truck loaded with stones might suddenly appear.

Among those waiting is Mohar Uddin, the sole breadwinner for a family of seven. He has been without regular work for nearly a month, and his family is now surviving on borrowed money.

He said, “There is work for a few days, and the family gets by somehow. But when the stone supply stops, we have to eat by taking out loans. I earn Tk 200-250 a day by breaking small stones.

“How can seven people survive on this money? That is why I am living on debt. When the stones arrive again, I will pay the installments. If it stops again, I will take a new loan. Debt just won't leave us alone.”

Mohar Uddin is not alone; Harun ur Rashid, another stone worker, shared a similar story. “We borrow, we pay it back. Then we borrow again. This is how life is going,” he said.

While their individual stories differ, their reality is the same - a reality shared by nearly 4,000 workers at the Nakugaon Land Port. The cause of this uncertainty lies across the border.

Heavy rainfall, mountain runoff, and landslides in India’s Meghalaya state have damaged several key roads, including the Dalu-Tura highway. As a result, the import and export of all goods, including stone, through Nakugaon Land Port has been virtually halted for about a month.

This has had a direct impact on the economy of the border port. While workers have become unemployed, businessmen are facing heavy losses. At the same time, the government’s revenue collection has dropped to nearly zero.

Port authorities said while Nakugaon Customs Port began operations in 1997, the import of all goods except coal and stone was halted in 2002. It later began operating as a full-fledged port in 2009 and as a land port in 2015.

Although 21 items are permitted for import, in reality, only stone is being imported. Consequently, the port's business and labor market have become entirely dependent on this single product.

Businessmen added that roads have collapsed in various parts of the Dalu-Mahendraganj-Garobadha-Tura and Dalu-Tura routes in the West and South Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya due to landslides and heavy rain.

Many trucks carrying stone and coal were stranded. As a result, no goods can reach Nakugaon Land Port. Hundreds of loading and unloading workers have been left without work. With their long-term savings exhausted, many are now dependent on loans.

Harun ur Rashid, who has been working as a stone crusher for 11 years, said, “I support a family of seven with this work. There has been no work for a month. All the money I had saved is gone. Now I am worried about how I will provide for my family.”

Khairul Islam is in the same situation. He added, “Work has been stopped for a month. This is the only work we know. I can’t find any other job, and my savings are finished. Now I am living on debt.”

Alongside the crisis facing workers, anxiety is also growing among businessmen. Mustafizur Rahman, president of the Nakugaon Land Port Importers-Exporters Association, said businessmen are facing significant losses as stone imports have been halted for nearly a month.

Whenever the monsoon arrives, roads on the Indian side get damaged, affecting Bangladeshi businesses. However, he expressed hope that if there is no rain, road repairs could be completed within the next week, which would normalize product imports.

This stagnation has also impacted government revenue. According to data from the Land Port Authority, 1,94,614 tons of stone were imported through the port in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

From this, the Customs Department collected Tk 7,34,91,791 and the Land Port Authority collected Tk 3,55,87,168 in tariffs. However, the income has dropped by nearly half compared to the previous fiscal year.

Nakugaon Land Port Assistant Director Jahidul Islam said, “No trucks carrying stone or coal have been able to enter the port for about a month because the road communication system on the Indian side has collapsed.

“Heavy rain and landslides have made the situation more complicated. However, on Tuesday morning, one stone-laden truck from Bhutan entered the port using an alternative road. Due to the long-term halt in imports, the government is also losing revenue.”