The Government of India has decided to keep the Benapole-Petrapole port open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A meeting has already been held. For the time being, the experimental activities will continue for three months. Good response will make it lasting. This service will be launched very soon in both the ports and customs- immigration in the two countries. Port users said that with the 24-hour operation of the port, the import and export trade will pick up speed and passengers with domestic and foreign passports traveling between India and Bangladesh will get the benefit of travel.
Matiar Rahman, chairman of the India-Bangladesh Landport Import-Export Committee said, Ajit Kumar Singh (Operations) Delhi, Director, Land Ports Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs, India, had already issued guidelines in this regard on October 25. The guidelines have been sent to the concerned departments including the Customs and Immigration Departments for immediate implementation. For the time being, the new rule will be introduced experimentally for three months.
If successful, it may be decided to continue it later. However, this decision will be effective only at the Petrapole-Benapole ports. The new system is now just waiting to be implemented. As a business leader, he also received a letter by mail from India regarding the decision to open the port 24 hours a day, Matiar Rahman said.
Earlier, a meeting of the Border Management Committee under the Home Ministry was held in Delhi on August 31. Only then was this decision made.
Aminul Haque, vice-president of the Benapole Import-Export Association, said a lot of passengers travel between India and Bangladesh to get trade and medical services. At present, passenger service is open from 7 am to 6 pm at Immigration. No matter how much a passenger needed to cross the border outside of this time, they had to be stuck at the border until the immigration office was opened after the specified time. For a long time, traders demanded that the port be kept open 24 hours a day. Harassment of citizens of the two countries will be reduced if passenger service is introduced for 24 hours.
Mofizur Rahman Sajan, president of the Benapole C&F Association, said the Benapole-Petrapole port currently conducts import-export trade six days a week. Besides, trade is also closed on public holidays. Now, if import-export is introduced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the pace of trade will return. This will also increase the revenue of the government. The people of the two countries will benefit from such a decision.
According to border sources, Petrapole-Benapole is the largest land port in Asia. However, the 24-hour goods service with the integrated check post was on, but due to the Corona, the transport of passengers as well as the transport of goods was stopped for some time due to the lockdown situation. After the situation became normal, the transportation of goods was started. This time passenger service will also be launched 24 hours a day between the two countries. This will expand trade and passenger travel in two countries.
It is to be noted that every year about Taka 40 thousand crore of import and Taka 8 thousand crore of export trade is done with India through Benapole port. The government's annual revenue from import trade is Tk. 6,000 crore. About 18 lakh passengers travel between the two countries on this route every year. The government's revenue in the travel sector comes to around Tk. 100 crore. In the current Corona situation, the port of Benapole-Petrapole continues to carry passengers on medical, business and student visas. Tourist visas have been closed since March 13 last year.