Trade through Benapole port resumes after Eid holiday

Trade between Bangladesh and India through the Benapole land port resumed on Monday following a seven-day suspension during the Eid holidays.

Benapole Port Director Shamim Hossain said that with the holiday now over, bilateral trade through the land port has resumed.

Around 3,000 workers joined their duties from early morning to handle cargo loading and unloading, restoring normal operations at the port, according to a UNB report.

Import and export activities at Benapole land port remained suspended from May 25 to May 31 due to the Eid vacation.

However, despite the halt in trade, the movement of passport-holding passengers between the two countries continued as usual during the holiday period.

Aminul Haque, vice-president of the Benapole Importers and Exporters Association, said businesspeople, C&F agents, customs officials, port authorities and workers are now busy clearing goods.

He said the prolonged holiday caused a backlog of cargo on both sides of the border, but the situation is expected to improve as import-export activities and cargo clearance have resumed.

According to port data, import and export operations began at 9:00 am, and by 11:00 am, 39 trucks carrying imported goods had entered Bangladesh from India, while 13 trucks loaded with export goods had crossed into India.