Due to the Hindu religious festival Diwali (Kali Puja) and the corresponding public holiday in India, all import and export activities through the Benapole-Petrapole land port will remain suspended on Tuesday (October 21).
However, operations at the Benapole Customs House and port will continue as usual. Passenger movement through the Benapole-Petrapole international check-post will also remain normal.
Kartik Chakraborty, General Secretary of the Petrapole Port Clearing and Forwarding Agents Staff Welfare Association (India), confirmed in an official letter that all trade operations at Petrapole Port will be suspended on Tuesday due to Diwali. Activities are expected to resume from Wednesday morning (October 22).
Sazedur Rahman, General Secretary of the Benapole C&F Agents Staff Association (Bangladesh), said that operations at India’s Petrapole port and customs office will remain closed starting from Monday evening. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Benapole port and customs offices will remain operational.
Tajul Islam, Inspector of Immigration Police at Benapole International Check-post, said that while goods transport will be halted due to the Indian holiday, passport-holding passengers will be able to travel across the border without interruption.
Benapole Land Port Director Shamim Hossain added that although import-export activities will be on hold due to the Indian holiday, the port and customs operations in Benapole will continue, empty trucks can return, and passenger movement will remain normal.
Courtesy: Daily Observer Online
