Benapole
7 Bangladeshi women trafficked to India return via Benapole
Indian authorities on Thursday sent back seven Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to that country two years ago.
The seven were received by the Benapole immigration police at the international land border after India’s Petrapole immigration authorities sent them back on travel permit.
The returnees have been identified as- Shirina Bishwash Kuri from Jashore, Anjuman Sumi from Kuri village, Moushumi Akter from Farispur, Ria Akter from Chattogram, Shohagi akter Mim from Sreepur, Zakia Akter from Khagrachari and Suma Akter from Sunamganj.
Also read: Banned Indian drugs worth Tk 30 lakh seized at Benapole
All of them are aged between 25 and 30 years.
Officer-in-charge of Benapole immigration police Ahsan Habib said that the women were produced in a local court that granted them bail. "The women have been taken to a shelter home by NGO Justice and Care."
The women told cops that they had entered India two years ago illegally through brokers and who promised job opportunities there.
Also read: Govt relaxes conditions for returnees from India through Benapole
Senior program officer of Justice and Care, ABM Muhit Hossain said that Indian police rescued the women after getting to know that they had fallen into the trap of human traffickers.
The returnees will stay in 14-day institutional quarantine in Jashore for now considering the current Covid situation, said the officer. "After that, we will help them get jobs in Bangladesh,” he said.
Banned Indian drugs worth Tk 30 lakh seized at Benapole
A covered van carrying a large quantity of banned Indian drugs was seized by the customs IRM team at Benapole port Wednesday.
According to customs house sources, Deputy Commissioner (DC) SM Shamimur Rahman with IRM team after receiving a tip-off that a large consignment of banned drugs was being smuggled through Benapole port, raided the port and seized a large quantity of drugs in a covered van.
Read: 10 Bangladeshis who illegally entered India, return via Benapole
However, the driver and helper of the vehicle managed to escape.
Benapole customs house DC SM Shamimur Rahman, said a covered van with a large quantity of banned Indian medicines worth Tk 30 lakh was seized.
Operations were underway to nab main culprits of the smuggling gang, he said.
Govt relaxes conditions for returnees from India through Benapole
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.
Indian traders suspend trade through Benapole to protest BSF harassment
Indian businessmen suspended trading through Benaple-Petrapole port since Monday morning in protest against alleged harassment of Indian truckers by the country’s Border Security Force.
Thousands of goods-laden truck remained stuck along India’s Petrapole area in a long traffic snarl.
Deputy Director of Benapole port, Mamun Tarafdar said Indian traders complain of harassment of truck drivers by BSF members of Jayantipur camp.
Also read: BGMEA requests India to expedite trade through Bangaon-Benapole land port
The traders have decided against exporting any goods through the port until the harassment ends, he said.
Everyday around 400 to 500 trucks enter Benapole from India mostly carrying industrial raw materials, said the port official.
Deputy Commissioner of Benapole Customs House Mostafizur Rahman said the trading will resume after problems on Indian side are solved.
Also read: 10 Bangladeshis who illegally entered India, return via Benapole
10 Bangladeshis who illegally entered India, return via Benapole
Indian authorities on Thursday night sent back as many as 10 Bangladeshi nationals, who had illegally entered the neighbouring country because of economic opportunity.
The seven men and three women were handed over to the Benapole immigration police by India’s Petrapole immigration authorities at the Benapole land border.
The 10 people have been identified as Roksana, Mahmuda, Golap Mia, Sakib Hossain, Russel Mia, Ayesha, Nayeem, Khokon, Sagor and Saju, belonging to Khulna, Narail and Narsingdi districts.
Two NGOs -- Rights Jashore and Justice and Care -- later took the 10 men and women to their shelters.
Also read: Benapole: BGB on high alert to prevent rawhide smuggling
“The victims went to India’s Bengaluru city illegally with the help of brokers in the hope of finding well-paid jobs. Later they all were arrested by police and sentenced to three years in jail by Indian courts," said Towfiq, field officer of Rights Jashore.
"An Indian NGO later kept them in their shelters after bailing them out. The victims were issued travel permits, following exchange of letters at both the country’s Home Ministry level," he said.
Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration check post, Ahsan Habib said that the 10 Bangladeshis would need to spend 14 days in institutional quarantine. "After the mandatory isolation period, they will be handed over to their families."
Also read: Two Bangladeshi women trafficked to India returns via Benapole
Benapole: BGB on high alert to prevent rawhide smuggling
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was on Thursday put on high alert to prevent rawhide smuggling, a day after Eid-ul-Azha, a holy festival during which Muslims sacrifice animals.
BGB Commander (49th Battalion) Lt Colonel Selim Reza told UNB that the force has intensified patrolling along the Benapole border.
Read: Govt fixes rawhide prices ahead of Eid-ul-Azha
Sources said the BGB has stepped up vigil not only in Benapole, but also in Gatipara, Bara Achra, Sadipur, Raghunathpur, Ghiba, Dhanyakhola, Putkhali and Goga, Kayba, Agrabhulot, Rudrapur, Kashipur, Shikarpur, Shalkona and Shahjatpur areas.
The seasonal smugglers have stockpiled rawhide after purchasing the same at a high price.
According to traders, the quality of Bangladeshi rawhide is better than that of India and that’s why there is a demand for the Bangladeshi product in the neighbouring country.
In different areas of Sharsha upazila, five mounds of cow hides are being sold at Tk 300-400 and 10 mounds of cow hides at Tk 600. On the other hand, in West Bengal state of India, sacrificial cow hides weighing five mounds are being sold for Rs 400-600 and those weighing 10 mounds are being sold for Rs 800-1,000.
Read:Export rawhides to ensure fair prices: GM Quader
Lt Colonel Selim said the law enforcement agencies are working to prevent smuggling of goods, including rawhide.
This year, the government has fixed raw cow hide prices at Tk 40-45 per sq ft in the capital and Tk 33-37 outside Dhaka.
Two Bangladeshi women trafficked to India returns via Benapole
Indian authorities on Wednesday sent back two Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to the country, through the Benapole border.
The two women have been identified as Moushumi Khatun, 24, and Mariam Khatun, 25, residents of Sirajganj and Jashore districts, respectively.
India’s Petrapole immigration authorities handed over the two women to their counterparts in Benapole this morning.
Also read: Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole
Office-bearers of ‘Justice and Care’, an NGO in Jashore, Shaoli Sultana, said, "Moushumi and Mariam went to India’s Mumbai illegally with the hope of grabbing well-paid jobs but ended up getting risky jobs there."
Tipped off, Indian cops arrested them and an NGO subsequently kept them at its shelter home, she said.
The Indian police sent the women back to Bangladesh on travel permits following exchange of letters at Home Ministry level, said Shaoli.
Also read: 304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations
Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration police said that after the immigration formalities, the two women were sent to the Benapole hotel to undergo the mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine.
Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole
Despite the extension of travel ban to India through land ports till July 31, passport-holding passengers are now allowed to travel through Benapole land port every day and return on only three weekdays.
Collecting Covid-19 negative certificates and NOCs from Bangladesh High Commission in India passengers can return through the land port on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, said the Benapole immigration authority on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the police immigration process will remain open from 8am to 3pm every day.
Also read: Benapole to allow entries from India on 3 days a week
Before the travel ban imposed nine to ten thousand passengers used to move through the Beanpole land port. This has now decreased to 60 to 70 passengers a day.
Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration Ahsan Habib said only the passengers who have passes issued from the Home Ministry and Bangladesh High Commission in India are moving through the port on applied conditions now.
In general travel for all passengers will not be possible yet considering the extension of border closure, he said.
India returnee passengers have to remain in a minimum of 14-day institutional quarantine in hotels of Benapole and Jashore, he added.
Sub Director of beanpole port Mamun Tarafdar said, BGB police and port security patrol the area to ensure Indian truck drivers remain within the port area.
Also read: 304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations
Commissioner of Benapole Customs house Azizur Rahman said, export-import trade through the land port has remained normal, maintaining all the health guidelines.
304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations
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.
Sheikh Hasina gifts 2,600kg mangoes to PM Modi, Mamata Banerjee
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday sent 2,600kg of mangoes as a gift for her counterpart Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and other political leaders will also receive the mangoes.
The mangoes were sent through Jashore's Benapole land port.
The shipment arrived at the Benapole-Petrapole check post in the afternoon.
Also read: Humanity will overcome pandemic soon: Modi writes to Hasina
After the completion of customs and port formalities, the Bangladeshi trucks carrying 260 cartons of mangoes crossed the border.