Imports, exports to be suspended for 6 days through Benapole

Business Desk :

Imports and exports through Jashore’s Benapole Land Port will remain suspended for six days during Durga Puja.

Hilsa exports to India, however, will face no interruption.
During this period, loading and unloading of goods at the port, customs clearance, and cross-border movement of passport holders between Bangladesh and India will continue as usual.

Kartik Chakraborty, secretary of the Petrapole Customs Clearing Agent Staff Welfare Association in India, said all trade between Benapole and Petrapole will be halted from Sept 28 to Oct 2 due to the festive break.

He also confirmed that trade would resume on Oct 3, a Friday, though the weekend holiday in Bangladesh means full operations will begin on Saturday.

Benapole C&F Agents Association General Secretary Sazedur Rahman said: “The C&F association on the Indian side informed us in writing that import and export will remain closed for five days.”
Sajedur Rahman, general secretary of Benapole C and F Staff Association, said: “The C and F association on the Indian side has sent us a letter confirming that trade will remain closed for five days.”

Benapole Immigration Police chief Ilias Hossain Munshi confirmed that passport holders will face no restrictions during the Puja holidays.
“Although import and export will remain suspended during the holiday, passenger movement will continue as usual.”

Md Shamim Hossain, director (Traffic) at the Benapole Port, said both Bangladeshi and Indian exporters have been notified of the suspension. He explained that port and customs services will continue, and empty Indian trucks will be allowed to return after unloading.

Authorities have warned of possible traffic congestion at Petrapole and Benapole after the holiday, with hundreds of laden trucks waiting to cross the border once trade resumes.