As of this morning, 22nd October, trade at the Benapole-Petrapole land port has been halted and will continue to be so until 24th October. A modern passenger terminal at the Petrapole land port will be inaugurated by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit, which is why the suspension is a security measure.
The suspension of import and export activities was verified by Benapole Land Port’s Deputy Director (Traffic), Rashedul Sajib Nazir. Indian Port Authority Manager Kamlesh Shinei sent a letter to the Bangladesh Port Authority informing them of the decision.
On 24th October, Amit Shah will officially open the passenger terminal at the India-Bangladesh International Check Post and take part in a number of other activities. The president of the Benapole C&F Association, Alhaj Shamsur Rahman, said that the border has been made as secure as possible in light of his visit.
Imtiaz Bhuiyan, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Benapole International Checkpost Immigration, stated that passenger travel would proceed normally in spite of the trade suspension.
According to reports from local sources, police and the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) have been placed on high alert, and a dog squad has been deployed, increasing security throughout the Petrapole border area. Furthermore, C&F traders at Benapole stated that only those with identity cards are permitted in.