Gede, July 19: Escalating unrest in Bangladesh over the contentious reservation in government jobs has significantly impacted cross-border passenger movement through land ports between the two neighboring countries.
The ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh, compounded by a second consecutive day of complete shutdowns that have claimed at least 39 lives, has led to a sharp decline in foot traffic between Bangladesh and Kolkata. Over the past two days alone, passenger movements have dropped by approximately 40%.
As of Thursday evening (Friday is a weekly holiday), bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh remains unaffected by the unrest. However, the suspension of the Maitree Express train service connecting Kolkata and Dhaka has exacerbated the decline in passenger movements.
Further decreases in passenger traffic from India to Bangladesh are anticipated in the coming days, following Bangladesh’s decision to halt visa issuances starting Friday, according to sources at the Deputy High Commissioner’s office of Bangladesh in Kolkata.
West Bengal shares six international check posts with Bangladesh—Petrapole, Ghojadanga, Gede, Mahadipur, Hili, and Changrabandha—through which approximately twelve thousand people regularly cross the border. These crossings predominantly involve Bangladeshi nationals traveling to Kolkata for medical and business purposes.
Since the escalation of unrest last week, a consistent decrease in passenger movements has been observed, causing immediate financial implications for businesses such as currency exchanges, hospitality, eateries, and transportation services.
Dinabandhu Mahaldar, a currency exchange agent at Gede port in Nadia, stated, “Our business volume has declined by about 50% over the past two days. Very few people arrived needing currency exchange, and most were Indians returning home due to safety concerns.”
He added, “Today, only around 200 passengers visited our counter, whereas on a normal day, we serve about 800.”
At the Petrapole check post on Friday, the passenger terminal remained largely deserted throughout the day, with minimal immigration and customs activities compared to usual days.
Petrapole, Asia’s largest land port for cargo and passenger movements, saw a significant drop in passenger traffic, recording only 5,723 movements compared to the usual figures. On Thursday, the number was 4,945 passengers.
Kamalesh Saini, Manager of LPAI Petrapole, remarked, “We have witnessed a 30% to 40% decrease in passenger movements over the past few days, despite no restrictions imposed from our end.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs advised Indians in Bangladesh to adhere to safety advisories issued by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, urging them to stay indoors to avoid potential risks.
The advisory cautioned that due to the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, Indian community members and students should refrain from unnecessary travel and limit their movements outside their residences.