Two Indian managers arrested in Chittagong

In a fresh twist to the India- Bangladesh trade spat, the Customs department of Bangladesh at Chittagong has arrested the country manager of an Indian logistics company and the representative of a Mumbai-based pharmaceutical trading company. It was alleged that one of the transporter's trucks was carrying goods to Nepal that allegedly violated some rules in Bangladesh. This, despite the fact that the Indian company was carrying it on the behalf of two Bangladeshi companies.

"Vivek Sharma, the country manager of Freight Systems, was called for interrogation, detained, and finally produced in a Chittagong court so late before the weekly Friday holiday that he did not get any chance to apply for bail," Manu R Bhalla, the New Delhi-based India regional director of Freight Systems, told Business Standard.

Sharma was produced before a Chittagong magistrate, who, it now appeared, was not empowered to grant bail, meaning the Indian manager's case would now be heard earliest on Sunday. The magistrate's order would have to be placed before a Dhaka magistrate for bail, Bhalla added.

The Chittagong court was expected to take 4-5 days to issue a certified copy of its order, so the earliest Sharma's bail could be moved in Dhaka would be next Friday, Bhalla said. The Indian company, without any success, appealed to the Indian High Commission to intervene.

Sources in the logistics sector in Kolkata alleged that the incident was typical and said Freight System was among the many Indian service companies facing harassment in Bangladesh under the rule if a non-elected coterie, which saw targeting of Indian service companies as the best way to distract people.