Time
Live Business City Clocks
Business Hours Overlap
India: Mon–Sat 9:30 AM–6:30 PM IST | Bangladesh: Sunday–Thursday (Friday–Saturday weekend) 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM BDT (Bangladesh Standard Time)
Bangladesh (BDT, UTC+6) is only 30 minutes ahead of IST — the closest timezone to India among all major trading partners. Business overlap is near-perfect, covering almost the entire working day of both countries. Note: Bangladesh's weekend is Friday–Saturday; Sunday–Thursday are working days.
IST ↔ Bangladesh Quick Reference
| 🇮🇳 IST | BDT |
|---|---|
| 8:30 AM IST | 9:00 AM BDT |
| 9:30 AM IST | 10:00 AM BDT |
| 12:00 PM IST | 12:30 PM BDT |
| 3:00 PM IST | 3:30 PM BDT |
| 4:30 PM IST | 5:00 PM BDT |
| 6:30 PM IST | 7:00 PM BDT |
Key Commercial Ports
🇮🇳 India
| Port | City | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrapole Land Port (West Bengal) | Nadia District, WB | Mon–Sat 9AM–5PM | World's busiest land border trade point; trucks & containers to Benapole, Bangladesh |
| Kolkata Port / Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port | Kolkata | 24×7 | Sea gateway for India–Bangladesh cotton fabric & food grain trade |
| Agartala–Akhaura ICP (Tripura) | Agartala | Mon–Sat 8AM–6PM | Northeast India gateway; ASEAN connectivity corridor |
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
| Port | City | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chittagong Port | Chittagong | 24×7 | Bangladesh's main seaport; handles ~90% of Bangladesh's import/export by sea; major Indian cotton fabric entry point |
| Benapole Land Port | Jessore District | Mon–Sat 9AM–5PM | Bangladesh's side of Petrapole–Benapole; largest land port in Bangladesh |
| Mongla Port | Khulna | 24×7 | 2nd sea port; handles bulk goods & Indian goods for western Bangladesh |
| Payra Port | Patuakhali | 24×7 (new) | Bangladesh's newest deep-sea port; expanding capacity for bulk & container |
* Most major international ports operate 24×7 for vessel operations; customs clearance and gate hours vary. Always verify with the port authority or your freight forwarder.
Top Traded Goods
🇮🇳 India Exports to Bangladesh
- Cotton fabric & yarn (garment input; ~60% of India's Bangladesh exports)
- Sugar & food grains
- Vehicles & auto components
- Machinery & industrial equipment
- Pharmaceuticals
- Refined petroleum
- Iron & steel
🇮🇳 India Imports from Bangladesh
- Readymade garments & knitwear (small volume; Bangladesh exports globally, some to India)
- Jute & jute products
- Leather & leather goods
- Processed food & hilsa fish
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time difference between India and Bangladesh?
Bangladesh Standard Time (BDT, UTC+6) is only 30 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30). This makes India–Bangladesh the closest-timezone bilateral trade relationship among all of India's major trading partners.
What are Bangladesh's working days and hours?
Bangladesh's official week is Sunday to Thursday; Friday and Saturday are the weekend (government offices). Most private companies follow Sunday–Thursday or Monday–Friday. Government office hours are 9:00 AM–5:00 PM BDT.
Why is cotton fabric India's top export to Bangladesh?
Bangladesh is the world's 2nd largest garment exporter (after China), exporting $40+ billion in ready-made garments annually. Bangladesh's garment factories rely heavily on Indian cotton fabric, yarn, and accessories as raw material inputs. India is by far the largest supplier of these inputs.
What is the Petrapole–Benapole land crossing?
Petrapole (India, West Bengal) – Benapole (Bangladesh, Jessore) is classified as the world's busiest land port by trade volume. Over 500 trucks cross daily carrying Indian textiles, food, machinery, and consumer goods. The crossing is open Monday–Saturday, 9 AM–5 PM.