Bangladeshis stranded at Petrapole after sudden border closure

Published at 05:05 am April 27th, 2021

File photo: Entrance of Benapole land port Dhaka Tribune

On Monday morning, a large number of Bangladeshi nationals gathered at the Petrapole immigration centre, unaware of the sudden change in immigration rules, and were denied entry into their country

More than 300 Bangladeshis became stranded in India's Petrapole land port on Monday after the Bangladesh government on Sunday closed the border with India.

Many of the Bangladeshis stuck on the other side of the border are patients or students.

Ahsan Habib, the immigration officer-in-charge at Benapole, said he received a letter instructing him to close the border with India for the next 14 days.

Export-import between the two countries remains operational, said Benapole Land Port Director (acting) Abdul Jalil.

Benapole Immigration Health Department Medical Officer Habibur Rahman said 570 Bangladeshi passengers came from India on Sunday, and of them, three were diagnosed with Covid-19.

They contracted the virus in India and are now undergoing treatment at Jessore Sadar Hospital's Covid-19 unit.

Earlier, upon the recommendation of the health directorate, passenger travel from India to Bangladesh via land was suspended for 14 days, said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Already, air travel between India and Bangladesh has been suspended since April 14 with the beginning of the second wave of Covid-19 from the second week of March in Bangladesh.