MHA wants Bangla border trade to resume today

KOLKATA: Movement of trucks from India to Bangladesh is officially expected to resume via Petrapole-Benapole border on Sunday. However, citing the reluctance of most drivers to take their trucks across the border before June 8, when the lockdown is to be lifted fully, local authorities hinted that cross-border movement may start only after that.
In a missive issued on Saturday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had stated that the integrated checkpost at Petrapole (on the Indian side) would be operating from Sunday as there were over 1,800 trucks stranded at the border.
“The North 24-Parganas district administration has conveyed a set of guidelines, for which all stakeholders have been advised to take immediate steps for resuming cross-land border trade while ensuring adherence to Covid-19 protocol,” the missive read.
Earlier in May, movement of trucks to Bangladesh had started via Petrapole but was stalled following agitation by local residents. Sushil Patwari, eastern regional chairman of Federation of Indian Exports Organisation (FIEO), said 200 trucks would move from India to Bangladesh every day between 7am and 11am. He said all exporters had been informed about the MHA decision.