Benapole port scales up restrictions to control Covid infections

Benapole check post authorities have increased the Covid-19 screening process and issued strict regulations as the Covid-19 infections are rising in neighbouring India due to the new Covid-19 variant Omicron.

According to the land port sources, all the passengers passing through the port are being thoroughly screened at immigration. Passengers over 12 years of age who are returning from India are being tested with rapid antigen kits.

"In the last 15 days, four among 64 Bangladeshis who returned from India tested positive for Covid-19 and they have been kept at the Covid unit of Jashore General Hospital," said Shubhankar Kumar Mandal, medical officer of the Benapole Immigration Health Centre. 

Even though the restrictions are certainly necessary, they are harming businesses and posing difficulties for passengers who have to travel through the port for medical or other emergencies. 

The number of people travelling through the land port has been significantly affected due to the restrictions as well, according to Abdul Jalil, deputy director (Traffic) of Benapole Port.

In the past week, some 2,267 people have gone to India through the port while some 3,420 people came to Bangladesh using the port which is significantly less than the number of people regularly travelling through the port.