The only motorable road connecting Bangladesh with the western border of Burma was blocked on Wednesday after heavy rains caused a landslide in the area, said a local businessman.

"The road is blocked following the landslide and vehicles are unable to ply between Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Many business establishments are suffering from the road blockade because goods cannot be exported to Bangladesh," he said.

The road connects Buthidaung and Maungdaw on the western border and despite being only 16 miles long, is a key route for trade with Bangladesh.

"It is a very important connection with Bangladesh, but the authorities have neglected road repairs. Because of this, the road often suffers subsidence and blockages during the rainy season," he said.

The road was also blocked in June this year due to a bridge collapsing after heavy rains. At that time, transportation between Bangladesh and Burma had stopped for at least 15 days and border trade suffered badly.

This time, many shrimp traders are suffering because of the road block.

"We export frozen shrimps to Bangladesh along this road. If the road is not repaired within a short time, we may lose nearly 10 million Kyats. We are really frustrated by the road collapse," the businessman said.

The authorities have summoned 20 people from each ward in Maungdaw to help repair the road because there are no construction workers or machineries to do the job.