Trade activities between Bangladesh and India through the Benapole Land Port remain suspended on Monday for the Victory Day celebration. The day is a public holiday in Bangladesh. However, passenger movement with valid passports continues as usual, confirmed Benapole Land Port’s Deputy Director, Rashedul Sajib Nazir. Bangladesh to celebrate Victory Day Monday recalling hard-earned freedom President of the Benapole Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents Association, Alhaj Shamsur Rahman, said that the trade suspension was communicated verbally to the Petrapole C&F Agents Association on Sunday evening. Officer-in-Charge of Benapole International Checkpost Immigration Police, Imtiaz Bhuiyan, confirmed that while import-export activities are suspended, passport-holder travel between the two countries is proceeding without disruption. Deputy Director Rashedul Sajib Nazir further clarified that all customs and port operations are paused for the day. Normal trade activities, including import and export, are scheduled to resume from Tuesday morning (December 17). Chief Adviser and Timor-Leste President pay tribute to Freedom Fighters on Victory Day Deputy Director Rashedul Sajib Nazir said that all customs and port activities are closed due to the declaration of a public holiday. Import-export will resume from Tuesday morning, he added. 

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has suspended overseas travel of its officials, employees with the central bank’s financing until further notice. Foreign trips of Bangladesh Bank officials and employees, there participation in educational programmes,  seminars and workshops will remain suspended following the decision. Bangladesh Bank states that officials/ employees can travel abroad for treatment or Hajj with their own expenses. Earlier, the government put on hold all kinds of overseas travel of its officials until further notice due to current global crisis and to help post- Covid economic recovery. On May 16, The Finance Ministry issued another circular clarifying policy and the restriction of traveling of government officials abroad. The circular stated that the prohibitions mentioned in the earlier circular would be applicable to all government-semi-government and autonomous organizations. READ: Israel captures Palestinians who killed 3 in stabbing attack These restrictions will also apply to travel abroad from the own funds of these organizations. In other words, government officials and employees cannot go abroad even with money from the internal funds such of any entities. In line with the government instruction, Bangladesh bank has taken this decision. Bangladesh Bank is discouraging the import of luxury goods to reduce the pressure on the forex reserves and to ease the dollar crisis.