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.