Imports and exports halted at Benapole port for Diwali and Kali Puja, resume Tuesday
Goods transport between the two countries through Benapole, the country's largest land port, has been suspended since Monday morning, after traders at India's Petrapole port halted import-export operations for Diwali and Kali Puja.
However, Benapole Customs House and the port's internal operations remain open. The movement of passport-holding passengers is also normal.
Import and export of goods are scheduled to resume from Tuesday morning.
Badruzzaman Boni, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Agents Staff Association, said traders at India's Petrapole port have kept all import-export operations closed on Monday for Diwali.
They had informed Benapole traders of the decision in advance through a letter. Commercial operations between the two countries will return to normal from Tuesday morning.
Kartik Chakraborty, general secretary of the Petrapole Port Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association in India, gave the same information. He said goods transport was kept closed on Monday because of the government holiday in India for Diwali and Kali Puja.
About 90 percent of goods coming from India enter Bangladesh through the Benapole land port. The port is popular with importers because letters of credit can be opened within seven days.
The distance from the Benapole checkpost to Kolkata is only 81 kilometres, so goods-laden trucks can reach the checkpost within two and a half hours.
According to sources, around 300 to 350 goods-laden trucks enter Bangladesh from India through this port every day. In return, about 100 trucks carry goods from Bangladesh to India. Apart from raw materials for factories, various food items are also imported through this port.
Although commercial operations are suspended, there is no disruption to passenger movement on the Benapole-Petrapole route.
Ruhul Amin, acting director of the Benapole land port, said no goods are being imported or exported on Monday for Diwali, but the port's and customs' internal operations remain normal.
The cargo branch of the checkpost has been kept open to send back to India the empty trucks that came to Bangladesh after unloading imported goods. Saifur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police, said passenger crossing is also normal, adding that although goods transport between the two countries is closed due to the government holiday in India for Kali Puja, the movement of passport-holding passengers continues.
