New travel rules slash Bangladeshi passenger traffic to India through Benapole

Passenger movement through Benapole, the busiest land port between Bangladesh and India, has dropped following new travel rules that require filling out an online arrival form in advance and amid tighter visa issuance.

Benapole Land Port Director Shamim Hossain confirmed the decline, saying fewer Bangladeshi passport holders are crossing the border due to the reduced number of visas being issued.

According to the port director, a total of 3,882 Bangladeshi passengers travelled through Benapole over three days between 2 October and 5 October.

On 2 October, 796 people travelled to India while 486 returned; the following day, 609 travelled to India and 586 came back; and yesterday, 606 travelled to India while 799 returned.

The Indian High Commission made it mandatory from 1 October for Bangladeshis to complete the online form before travelling. Previously, Bangladeshi travellers could fill out the form manually upon arrival at Indian immigration checkpoints.

Travellers said the new process has added extra hassle and expenses. They must now fill out the online form, print it, and carry it to the border. Server issues often cause delays, forcing passengers to wait for hours.

On top of this, travel costs have doubled compared to last year. Each traveller has to pay Tk1,500 as an Indian visa fee and Tk1,057 as travel tax and port charges to the Bangladesh government.

Shyamal Kumar Roy, who was travelling with his wife for medical treatment, said he had to spend Tk100 to get the form filled out and lost an hour due to server disruptions.

Another passenger, Animesh Pal, said he had spent Tk17,000-18,000 to secure a visa. "There's no end to the suffering," he complained. "Either make the visa process easier, or shut it down altogether."

Passenger Ashanur Rahman noted that restrictions had made travelling increasingly difficult. "Earlier, I used to get my visa from Jashore, but the centre there is now closed. So I have to travel to Dhaka twice to get a visa. The fee has doubled, and on top of that, there's the burden of online forms. That's why fewer people are travelling," he said.

India suspended tourist, business, and student visas for Bangladeshis citing security concerns following political unrest after the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August last year.

While medical visas remained available, additional conditions have made the process more complicated, discouraging many prospective travellers.