Bangladeshi passport passengers are unable to travel to India through the Darshana International Land Route, even after 30 months since the restriction imposed due to the Corona epidemic. People of 12 districts are suffering due to the closer of the land port. Besides, the government has lost about Tk 15 crores of revenue from this port in the last 30 months.
On March 26, 2020, travel of all visa holder passengers including tourists was suspended between India and Bangladesh on the Darshana land route due to the spread of coronavirus. From May 17, 2021, a directive was issued to repatriate Bangladeshis stranded in India by international land route.
In mid-September of the same year, only passport passengers on medical and business visas could travel through Darshana-Gede, police said. After all, the Dhaka-Kolkata Maitri Express started running through Darshana International Railway Station on May 29 of this year, but tourist visas for Bangladeshis have not been started on the Darshana-Gede land route.
Rabiul Islam of Matila village of Maheshpur upazila of Jhenaidah district said that he went to Kolkata via Benapole 10 days ago. After returning from there while talking to this correspondent he informed that he suffered a lot to visit Kolkata via Benapole check post. Due to the large number of passengers, it takes five hours to six hours to complete the immigration process.
He also said that the people of 10-12 districts of this region including Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Magura, Meherpur, Rajbari, Chuadanga are going to India via Benapole-Haridaspur because they cannot travel by land to Darshana-Gede on tourist visa. Travel costs has also gone up double to triple.
He said, it costs only Tk 50 to Tk 80 to come to Darshana check post from surrounding districts including Kushtia, Magura, Meherpur. And from Darshana, India's Gede railway station can be reached on foot. Accordingly, the fare from Kushtia to Jessore is Tk 100, the fare from Jessore to Benapole is Tk 50 and the cost per person to reach Bangaon railway station from Benapole is Tk 150.
Darshana check post immigration in-charge Abu Naim said that medical and business visas were allowed on May 17, last year but they were stopped on December 5. But Indians are traveling by land on all visas.
Gholam Farooq, member secretary of Darshana Citizen Committee, said that according to international rules, different rules for same route cannot be accepted for the citizens of two countries.
Darshana C&F Association General Secretary Atiyar Rahman Habu said that before 2020, 1,000 to 1,200 passport passengers used to travel on Darshana-Gede land route. As a result, the government has been deprived of four to five lakh taka per day i.e. about 15 crore taka in 30 months of revenue.
Darshana Customs Superintendent Subhashish Kundu said that before Covid-19, many passport passengers used to travel on this route every day. If tourist visa is introduced for Bangladeshis, passport passengers will travel as before.
Chuadanga Deputy Commissioner Aminul Islam Khan said that the concerned department of the government will be informed about this and necessary measures will be taken.