Benapole land port revenue disrupted due to corona virus issue for four months long. Sources said, Sonali Bank, Benapole branch collected revenue of Tk 42 crore 59 lakh and 60 thousand from the domestic and foreign passport holders travelled to India through Benapole port of Jashore in the financial year 2019-20.
During this period 8 lakh 51 thousand and 920 passengers went to India from Bangladesh.
However, due to corona, the passenger traffic has decreased from the end of March last in the financial year 2018-19. Benapole Sonali Bank Manager Akhter Faruque has confirmed the issue of passenger statistics and revenue collection.
Benapole Sonali Bank authorities work to collect travel tax from passengers traveling to India. The government has fixed taka 500 per passenger as travel tax and taka 44.90 as port tax. A total of 90 percent of the passengers who went to India are Bangladeshis. The rest are citizens of other countries including India.
Benapole Checkpost sources said, the increase in passenger travel to India through this route will increase the collection of government revenue. Due to corona, no passenger has been able to enter India since mid March this year. Due to that, the revenue has also stopped. It is expected that the revenue shortfall will be filled if passenger traffic is normal in India.
Benapole port and immigration sources, since 1972 passengers with passports started traveling to India legally through Benapole port. The distance from Benapole to Kolkata is only 84 kilometers.
Departing from Benapole, the city of Kolkata can be reached in just two and a half to three hours by train or bus. Medical treatment receivers, businessmen and travelers feel comfortable traveling on this route as the communication system is easy.
The Dhaka-Kolkata bus service, Khulna-Kolkata Bandhan train service
were shut down after the Indian government banned Bangladeshi passport holders entering India through Benapole checkpost from mid March to prevent corona.
Passengers with Bangladeshi passports who are staying in India can come out at this time if they want. Holders of Indian passports who are in Bangladesh can also return. However, no new passport holders are being allowed to enter for four months long.
A complete ban on India-Bangladesh travel through Petrapole port has been imposed since March 26.The travel of diplomats, officials, UN-international organizations and visa holders of various projects is normal.
A section of travelers who travelled to India from Bangladesh told that despite huge revenue income from Benapole land port every year, passenger service in the land port has not increased here.
Although many promises were made by the authorities for the development of infrastructure, they have not been implemented. Although tax is collected at the port in the name of service no such service is provided to the passengers, they alleged.
