Petrapole Border to Open Soon For Indo-Bangla Trade

Slowly and gradually life is seeming to be coming back towards normalcy, after a month's gap, India-Bangladesh trade through the land border of Petrapole in West Bengal's 24 Parganas North district began, an official said.

The trade through the border had come to a halt late last month after the labourers refused to join duty fearing infection due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, the Central government convened a meeting where the local administration officials also took part.

The meeting came up with an acceptable solution by announcing that for the time being, no truck from either country would cross the border, and consignments would be unloaded at the zero point.

"We have arranged to resume exports from today following the initiatives taken by the Central and state governments. We have pressed into service five trucks today. The goods will be transferred to trucks from Bangladesh at Zero Point," said Suvojit Mondal, Manager, Land Port Authority of India, Petrapole.

Kartick Chakraborty, Secretary, Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association, said social distancing and all other lockdown norms were being adhered to at Petrapole.

"For long, export-import business had been stalled due to the Coronavirus infection. Today exporters, importers and clearing agents have taken some risk to begin loading and unloading of goods at Zero Point. We are adhering to all social distsncing norms," he said.