Government has relaxed the existing conditions for Bangladeshi passengers returning from India through Benapole. A circular signed by Director (disease control) of the Directorate General of Health Services(DGHS) professor Nazmul Islam was sent to the immigration department at Benapole on Sunday. The circular mentioned relaxation of conditions for four categories of Bangladeshi passengers. Also read: Indian traders suspend trade through Benapole to protest BSF harassment According to the notice, cancer and kidney disease patients or pregnant women and fully vaccinated passengers were exempted from the condition of staying in institutional quarantine but the authorities have to ensure they remain isolated at home. Those who have only received one dose of Covid vaccine will need to stay in 14-day institutional quarantine on their own expenses as per the previous conditions, said the notification. Every passenger will have to secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Bangladesh consulate in Kolkata and will have to manage a Covid-negative certificate within 72 hours. However, apart from the four categories, all India-returned passengers will have to maintain the mandatory institutional quarantine following the earlier regulations. Also read: Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole Ahsan Habib, in-charge officer of the Benapole Immigration said according to the new notice India going passengers will not need to seek prior approval from the Home Ministry anymore. They have been following the directions of the circular from Sunday, he said.    

Some 304 people entered Bangladesh through Benapole in the last one week after the Home Ministry issued new criteria for entering the country on July 1. However, the number of people entering Bangladesh declined  significantly on Saturday, compared to Sunday and Thursday. After 302 people entered the country from India on Sunday and Thursday, only 2 entered on Saturday. Also read: Benapole to allow entries from India on 3 days a week Officer-in charge of Benapole Immigration Ahsan Habib confirmed the information to UNB. Besides, 56 people, both Bangladeshi and Indian nationals, went to the other side of the border from Bangladesh during the last one week, he informed. Also read: 3,350 Bangladeshis return through Benapole since Apr 26; 17 test Covid positive The Home Ministry on July 3 decided that stranded Bangladeshi nationals in India can enter the country through Benapole port on 3 days of the week, the days being Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Those looking to enter Bangladesh must carry with them an RT-PCR certificate (with a negative result) and NOC from the Bangladesh High Commission in India.

Another batch of 105 Bangladeshis returned home from India through the Benapole checkpost on Friday morning. They are undergoing a 14-day quarantine at a Benapole hotel at their own expense. They returned with NOC from the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata. Meanwhile, 21 Indians have returned to their country from Bangladesh. Many patients and students went to India before Bangladesh announced a 14-day border closure with the neighbouring country. A Samad, a passenger from India, said the border closure should have been announced at least a day earlier. “It’d have saved us a lot of trouble at the border,” he said. Ahsan Habib, officer-in-charge Benapole Immigration, said people with special permits from the high commission are being allowed to cross the border. In the last four days, 810 Bangladeshis have returned home from India through Benapole, according to officials.

Nineteen Bangladeshis, including 17 women, returned home on Sunday night after languishing in Indian prison for two years.

Three Bangladeshi women on Monday night returned home from India through Benapole land port after serving two years jail term.