Banglabandha, Hili Land Ports closed for 3 days

Business Desk :

Import and export activities through the Banglabandha in Panchagarh and Dinajpur’s Hili Land Ports will remain suspended for three consecutive days due to the 13th parliamentary election.

As per government instructions, import-export operations at the land port are suspended on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as on the weekly holiday Friday – three days in total.

However, Immigration services at the checkpost in these 2 ports will remain closed only on polling day. Passport holders can travel normally on Wednesday and Friday.

Md Shahinur Islam Mondal, general secretary of the Hili Customs C&F Agents Association, said authorities informed Indian traders of the temporary suspension, who have agreed to the arrangement.

“All import and export activities through the port will remain suspended from Wednesday to Friday. Operations are expected to resume as usual from Saturday,” he added.

Hili Immigration Police chief Md Ariful Islam said the closure of immigration is limited to polling day. On other days, including government holidays, travellers holding valid passports and visas can cross between Bangladesh and India.

He noted that immigration services normally operate from 9am to 6:30pm
Likewise, Banglabandha land port Immigration Police Officer-in-Charge Kefaetullah Wares said, “On election day, no passport-holding passengers will be allowed to travel between India and Bangladesh through the immigration point.”

“The matter is being announced in advance for the convenience of travellers so that no one suffers by coming to the border that day.”

However, regular passenger movement will resume from Feb 13, the day after the election, he added.