Shawdesh Desk:

Despite the extension of travel ban to India through land ports till July 31, passport-holding passengers are now allowed to travel through Benapole land port every day and return on only three weekdays.

Collecting Covid-19 negative certificates and NOCs from Bangladesh High Commission in India passengers can return through the land port on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, said the Benapole immigration authority on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the police immigration process will remain open from 8am to 3pm every day.

Before the travel ban imposed nine to ten thousand passengers used to move through the Beanpole land port. This has now decreased to 60 to 70 passengers a day.

Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration Ahsan Habib said only the passengers who have passes issued from the Home Ministry and Bangladesh High Commission in India are moving through the port on applied conditions now.

In general travel for all passengers will not be possible yet considering the extension of border closure, he said.

India returnee passengers have to remain in a minimum of 14-day institutional quarantine in hotels of Benapole and Jashore, he added.

Sub Director of beanpole port Mamun Tarafdar said, BGB police and port security patrol the area to ensure Indian truck drivers remain within the port area.

Commissioner of Benapole Customs house Azizur Rahman said, export-import trade through the land port has remained normal, maintaining all the health guidelines.