Bangladesh
Benapole-Petrapol Passengers returning from India having to stand in queue for 7 hours at Petrapol
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, July 22: About 5,000 to 7,000 passengers travel between Bangladesh and India every day through the international passenger terminal of Benapole land port in Jessore. Many of them go to India for treatment and some go to relatives. At present, Benapole customs authorities have arranged for smooth passage of passport passengers at Benapole immigration, but the passengers returning from India through Petrapole port have to suffer a lot before entering Bangladesh.
About 2,500 passengers left Bangladesh for India on Thursday (July 21). About three thousand passengers returned home from India. After waiting for about three hours for permission to enter no man's land, after getting permission to enter India's no man's land, the suffering of returnees can be seen. Passengers standing in long queues under the open sky are getting sunburnt and sometimes getting wet in the rain. Some are getting sick due to long queues.
Passengers returning from India complained that the 12 booths at Indian immigration were staffed by only 2-3 employees and the immigration process was slow, resulting in long queues of passengers. Before entering Bangladesh from India, passengers from children to the elderly have to stand outside in the open air in long queues to complete the checking and immigration process at no man's land at Petrapol port. Due to intense sun and heat, the passengers fell ill.
Sometimes people have to stand in the queue outside with the necessary immigration documents and get wet in the rain. However, passengers traveling on medical visas have priority in these cases, their suffering is less.
Meanwhile, porters and brokers at Petrapol port are accused of taking money from passengers and breaking the order to pass immigration earlier.
According to Benapole Customs sources, before and after the last Eid-ul-Azha, around 7,000-8,000 passengers go to India through Benapole port every day. Manpower has been increased at Benapole Immigration considering the suffering. As a result, passengers did not suffer at this time. Before Eid, Benapole port has been freed from brokers and syndicates by customs authorities.
