Benapole
Indians attending Ijtema start returning home through Benapole
Muslim devotees who attended the first phase of three-day Biswa Ijtema from neighbouring India have started returning home through Benapole land port in Jashore on Monday (February 05, 2024) morning.
Sources at the port’s immigration office said that a huge number of devotees came to Bangladesh from several states of India to participate the Ijtema that ended on Sunday with Akheri Munajat on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi.
Read: Two Ijtema attendees die in Tongi road accident
The Indian devotees were seen standing in queues of Benapole’s Immigration customs to return home in the early morning.
Benapole Immigration police station’s Officer-in-Charge (investigation) Shafiq Ahmed said there are additional officers so that the devotees face no hassles during departure from Bangladesh.
Read more: Two Ijtema attendees die in Tongi road accident
BGB personnel shot in BSF firing dies in India
A member of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) who sustained injuries after being shot by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Dhannokhola border under Benapole upazila of Jashore early Monday (January 22, 2024), succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in India, BGB said today (January 23, 2024).
The deceased, Raisuddin, 35, was posted at the BGB-49 Battalion in Jashore, said a media release signed by Lt Col Md Jamil, commander of the 49 Battalion.
According to the release, a patrol team of the paramilitary force challenged a gang of cattle smugglers when they were intruding into Bangladesh from India, adjacent to Jhelepara post area under the Benapole upazila, around 5:30 am on Monday.
Read more: BGB distributes warm clothes among destitute people in St Martin's Island
At one stage of the chase, the smugglers went back inside Indian territory, it reads, adding that BGB personnel Raisuddin got separated from the patrol team amid dense fog.
Though initially he was not found, later it was known through several sources that he was injured in BSF firing and was undergoing treatment in an Indian hospital.
Shortly after the incident, a bilateral flag meeting on commander-level was held between the BGB and the BSF, according to the release. He died while undergoing treatment in the hospital, it was confirmed.
The BGB demanded proper investigation into the incident and sent a protest note to their Indian counterparts, the press release reads.
Process is underway to bring the BGB personnel’s body back home soon, it added.
Read more: BGB's seized contraband in Dec 2023 worth over Tk 266 crore
Finally imported eggs arrive, costing just over Tk7 per piece
The first shipment of eggs from India has arrived in Bangladesh.
The price of an egg including duty is to Tk7.23. This egg imported from India entered Bangladesh through Benapole land port, Jessore in a truck on Monday (November 06, 2023).
The government issued import permits for 1.0 crore pieces. In the first shipment, one private trader imported 61,950. After being processed at the land port, the truck left the Benapole land port around 10 pm last night (Sunday).
Also read: Govt-fixed prices of onions, potatoes and eggs not executed yet
According to Benapole Land Port Authority and Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agent sources, Dhaka's BDS Corporation imported 61950 eggs in an Indian cargo truck as its first shipment after the Ministry of Commerce gave permission to import eggs.
The import price of an egg is estimated at Tk 5.43, on which duty is charged at Tk1.8 per egg.
Also read: Imported eggs to be available in market this week: Tipu Munshi
Director (Traffic) of Benapole land port Rezaul Karim said that the first consignment of eggs arrived from India in a truck yesterday (Sunday) evening. The eggs left the port around 10 pm when they were transferred from the Indian truck to the Bangladeshi truck.
Syed Mahidul Haque, representative of C&F agent ME Enterprises of the egg importer, said transport costs will be added to this, he said.
Also read: Govt to import 5 crore more eggs
8 gold bars recovered from Benapole border
Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered eight gold bars worth Tk 75 lakh from the border area in Benapole early Saturday.
Lieutenant Colonel Moahmmad Tanvir Rahman, commandant of the BGB-21 Khulna battalion, said tipped-off they conducted a drive along the Patukhali border with India around 1am.
Sensing presence of the BGB members, the smugglers fled the scene abandoning a bag wrapped with a black cloth in Sajaler Morr area, he said.
Eight gold bars weighing around 938 grams were found inside the bag.
BGB has so far recovered 66 kilograms of gold in 23 drives in last 13 months and arrested 23 people in these connections.
Up to 3800 tonnes of Indian lentils arrive at Benapole port
A consignment of 3800 metric tonnes of lentils has arrived at the Benapole port from neighboring India ahead of fasting month of Ramadan on Thursday night.Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) imported the lentils at $1,136.13 per metric tonne. C&F agent 'Confidence Trade Associate' presented necessary documents at the Benapole Customs House regarding these lentils imports.
Murtaza Sharif, C&F agent 'Confidence Trade Associate' Manager, said that the government planned to import 4000 metric tonnes of lentils from India of which 3800 metric tonnes of lentils arrived on Thursday night.
Read more: Foreign cigarettes, liquor seized from ‘Bandhan Express’ train in Benapole
The remaining 200 tonnes of lentils will arrive very soon, he added.
The lentils have been imported at Tk125 per kg, and are set to be distributed across the country with fast clearance from the port, said the manager.
Customs Commissioner Abdul Hakim said direction has been given at field level to discharge the lentils consignment soon.
Benapole Port Director Abdul Jalil said that they are cooperating to clear these pulses from the port and to dispatch the items to different destinations in the country.
2 held with gold bars worth Tk6.52 crore in Benapole
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Wednesday said they detained two people with 70 gold bars worth Tk6.52 crore from the Kaira border area in Benapole.
The detainees are Md Shafiqul Islam, 29, of Benapole and Md Hannan, 34, of Chandpur.
Read more: 2 held with 20 gold bars in Chattogram’s Sitakunda
Tipped off, a team of BGB-21 intercepted a car while it was trying to cross the border in the Panch Kaira Ambagan area this evening, Lieutenant Colonel Tanvir Rahman, commanding officer of BGB-21, said.
Later, the BGB men seized the gold bars from the car and detained the duo, he said. "Legal actions will be taken against the detainees."
1250MT sugar on 42 trucks from India stuck at Benapole for a month
Forty-two trucks loaded with 1,250 tonnes of sugar from India remain stuck at Benapole port for the past 28 days, as the local customs authorities allegedly imposed a higher tariff than stipulated by the government of Bangladesh.
According to the port officials, a total of 84 trucks carrying 2,500 tonnes of sugar imported in six consignments by Setu Enterprises arrived at Benapole port on December 25 last year.
Of six consignments, three were released after paying a tariff of $430 for each tonne of sugar as per the rate set by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), said Abdul Latif, the clearing and forwarding (C&F) agent of Setu Enterprises.
Read More: Gold worth Tk 1.5 cr seized at Benapole
However, customs authorities then imposed a higher tariff of $570 per tonne for the remaining 1,250 tonnes of sugar following a complaint by the Bangladesh Sugar Refinery Association.
In its complaint, the association stated that sugar is being released from the port by showing lower values than their actual worth.
"The importer is paying demurrage of Tk2000 per truck for every day. There are port charges too. If it is not resolved soon, the importer will suffer a huge loss," he added.
Read More: 26 rescued Bangladeshi fishermen return from India
Indian truck driver Ashish Sarkar said he has been living in his truck for 28 days.
"I don't know how many more days I will have to pass here fighting a severe cold," he added.
In this regard, Joint Commissioner of Benapole Custom House Md Shafayet Hossain said that three consignments of sugar were released from the port following procedures. Since we have received a complaint, the higher authorities will look into the matter, he added.
Read more: Trade halted at Benapole land port
Gold worth Tk 1.5 cr seized at Benapole
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh seized 17 gold bars weighing 1.98kg from Pachvulot border of Jashore's Sharsha upazila on Saturday.
Lt Col Tanveer Ahmed, commanding officer of BGB-21 battalion, said tipped off that gold was being smuggled to India, a team of BGB conducted a drive in Bottola area at noon.
Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, two smugglers riding on a motorcycle fled the scene leaving behind two bags and the BGB team recovered the gold bars worth Tk 1.5 crore from the bags, said Tanveer Ahmed.
Also Read: Gold worth over Tk 8.5cr seized in Chuadanga, Jhenaidah; one detained
He said they are trying to arrest the two smugglers.
A case has been filed with Sharsha police in this regard, added the commanding officer.
9 gold bars seized in Benapole
Border Guard Bangladesh members seized nine gold bars weighing 1 kg from an auto rickshaw at Amrakhali area in Benapole on Saturday night.
Tipped off, a team of BGB-49 battalion conducted a drive in the area at 9:30 pm.
BGB members tried to stop the auto rickshaw driver heading towards Kagojipukur but its driver managed to escape, said BGB 49 in a press release on Sunday.
Later the gold bars worth Tk 93.5 lakh were recovered from the auto rickshaw which were concealed in a hole.
Read more: Gold bars worth Tk22 crore seized at Benapole: BGB
BGB-49 said they are trying to arrest the driver and a case will be filed at Benapole port police station in this regard.
The seized gold will be deposited to government treasury, said the press release.
Read more: Gold worth Tk 3.5 cr seized at Benapole
Gold bars worth Tk22 crore seized at Benapole: BGB
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have claimed to have detained two men and seized gold bars worth nearly Tk22.45 crore from the border areas in Benapole in the last two days.
BGB detained Omar Faruk, 27, and Farhad Hossain, 32, of Chandpur district with 112 gold bars worth Tk15.65 crore, weighing 16.5kg, from the Amrakhali border area in Benapole Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel Minhaj Ahmed Siddique, commanding officer of BGB 21, said.
Meanwhile, another BGB team seized 82 gold bars worth Tk6.80 crore, weighing 9.5kg, from Benapole's Panchbhulot border area Thursday.
"The smuggler, identified as Mohammad Mehdi (25) of Jashore's Benapole, fled the area after being chased by a BGB team, leaving his motorcycle and a bag with the gold behind," said Lieutenant Colonel Tanveer Ahmed, commanding officer of BGB 21 Battalion.
Legal actions will be taken against those involved in the gold smuggling, the commanding officers said.
Also read: 56 gold bars seized at Chattogram airport