Passenger movement through Benapole drops 66% in Jul-Oct

Passenger movement through the Benapole International Checkpost dropped by a sharp 66 percent year-on-year in the four months to October, causing significant revenue losses for the government.

Some 605,818 passport holders travelled through the checkpost between July and October of the previous fiscal year, which came down to just 202,969 in the same period this fiscal year.

In the first four months of fiscal year 2024-25, some 358,952 people travelled to India from Bangladesh, while 296,866 came from India.

These figures fell to 114,734 and 88,235 respectively in the same period this fiscal year.

This decline has affected both countries, port officials said.

Due to reduced passenger movement, the Indian government lost around Tk 4.2 crore in visa fees, while Bangladesh missed the opportunity to earn around Tk 3.2 crore in travel tax revenue, they said.

Officials said every year around 28 lakh people travel between Bangladesh and India via Benapole for tourism, medical treatment, business, and higher education.

However, following the change in the Bangladesh government on August 5 last year, India began tightening and limiting visas for Bangladeshis, citing security concerns.

Although the overall situation has since normalised, India has not relaxed its visa rules.

Shamim Hossain, director (traffic) of Benapole land port, said, "The number of passport-holding passengers has declined due to visa complications, causing a fall in government revenue."

On December 16, only 1,494 passengers travelled to India through Benapole, while 989 entered Bangladesh, said Benapole Checkpost Police Immigration Officer-in-Charge Sakhowat Hossain.