Benapole-Petrapole trade to remain suspended for 8 days from 17 October
Cargo trade will resume on 25 October, while passenger movement will remain normal and cargo handling at Benapole will continue on 18 and 19 October.
Import and export activities through the Benapole-Petrapole land port will remain suspended from 17 to 24 October for Durga Puja, with trade operations scheduled to resume on the morning of 25 October.
Badruzzaman Boni, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Agents Staff Association, confirmed the closure today (12 October), saying Petrapole port authorities had informed their Bangladeshi counterparts in writing.
Trade at India's Petrapole port will remain suspended from 17 to 21 October, while import-export activities at Benapole will be closed from 20 to 24 October due to government holidays in Bangladesh.
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However, Benapole Land Port Acting Director Ruhul Amin said cargo loading, unloading, clearance and customs assessment would continue as usual on 18 and 19 October. Indian truck drivers will also be allowed to return home with empty trucks after unloading their goods.
Kartick Chakraborty, general secretary of the Petrapole Clearing and Forwarding Agents Welfare Association, confirmed the suspension at the Indian port. He said shipments of hilsa from Bangladesh to India for Durga Puja, if any, would be cleared under special arrangements.
Passenger movement through the two ports will remain normal despite the suspension of cargo trade, said Saifur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Benapole Immigration Police.
Police have stepped up security measures in anticipation of increased passenger traffic during the festival.
According to Benapole port sources, around 300-350 truckloads of goods arrive from India daily, while about 100 truckloads are exported to India. The port is a key route for cross-border trade, including the import of industrial raw materials.
