Import and export operations through Bangladesh’s largest land port at Benapole will remain suspended for six consecutive days from September 28 to October 3 due to Durga Puja, officials confirmed.
However, customs operations, cargo handling and cross-border travel for passport holders will continue as usual during this period.
The temporary suspension is being implemented in coordination with India’s Petrapole Land Port, which will also remain closed for trade during the same period.
The decision was communicated through official correspondence between clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents on both sides.
Md. Emdadul Haque Lata, General Secretary of Benapole C&F Agents Association, said that Indian agents had notified them of the trade suspension from September 28 to October 2 in observance of Durga Puja. The closure extends to October 3, which is a weekly holiday in Bangladesh, making it a six-day trade halt in total.
Kartik Chakraborty, General Secretary of Petrapole Clearing Agents’ Staff Welfare Association, confirmed that regular trade activities will resume on October 4 (Saturday).
He also noted that exports of Hilsa fish from Bangladesh to India will continue under special arrangements.
Benapole Land Port Director Shamim Hossain stated that while import-export operations will be halted, cargo unloading and customs clearance within the port will remain active. Indian empty trucks will be allowed to return after unloading goods and hilsa exports will proceed uninterrupted.
Benapole Immigration Police officer-in-charge Ilias Hossain Munshi, confirmed that passport-based passenger travel between the two countries will continue as usual during this period.
Benapole is a key gateway for trade between Bangladesh and India, handling over 300–350 trucks of imports daily and around 100 trucks of exports.
The port accounts for approximately 90% of the country’s imported goods via land.
Traders and port users have expressed concerns that a six-day suspension could lead to temporary shortages of industrial raw materials and essential goods in the local market.
YR/SH
