Trade through Benapole, Sonamasjid land ports resume after Durga Puja holidays

Export-import activities between Bangladesh and India through Benapole and Sonamasjid land ports on Saturday morning after Durga Puja and weekly holidays.

The trade at Benapole land port resumed on Saturday after a seven-day suspension due to Durga Puja holidays.

Around 3,000 workers joined their work from the morning to handle cargo loading and unloading, while traders, clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents, and port and customs officials resumed their operations.

Mohsin Milon, president of the Benapole Port Importers and Exporters Association, said the prolonged closure caused traffic congestion and a backlog of goods on both sides of the border, with thousands of loaded trucks waiting to enter the port.

The port handles around 500 trucks of imported and exported goods daily, generating nearly Tk 20 crore in government revenue, according to the association.

The eight-day suspension resulted in an estimated revenue loss of around Tk 160 crore, it added.

Meanwhile, import-export operations also resumed at Sonamasjid land port in Chapainawabganj after remaining suspended from October 17 to 23.

Ruhul Amin, member-secretary of the Sonamasjid Land Port C&F Agents Association, said the trade remained suspended due to government holidays for Durga Puja, weekly holidays and a holiday declared by India's Mahadipur Land Port Exporters Association.

He said loading and unloading of imported goods already inside the port continued during the holiday period.

However, cross-border movement of Bangladeshi and Indian passport holders through the immigration checkpoint remained normal.