Petrapole-Benapole trade in non-perishable general cargo will remain suspended from October 17 to 23 for the Durga Puja holidays, while perishable goods and passenger movement will continue as usual, officials said on Tuesday.
Petrapole land port head Kamlesh Saini said the movement of general cargo would be halted during the seven-day period and would resume on October 24. An official at Bangladesh’s Benapole land port said the suspension was linked to holidays at both the Indian and Bangladeshi ports.
The Petrapole land port is located in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district and handles a major share of overland trade between India and Bangladesh. The route is used by hundreds of trucks carrying agricultural commodities, textiles, machinery and raw materials across the border every day.
The temporary halt applies to non-perishable general cargo. Transportation of perishable goods and passenger movement will continue during the shutdown, according to the officials quoted in the report.
Extended closures at the border crossing can affect the scheduling of consignments and the movement of freight vehicles. Traders typically clear cargo in advance before planned shutdowns to reduce the risk of delays and congestion at the port.
The suspension will cover the period from October 17 through October 23, with general cargo operations scheduled to restart on October 24. Passenger and perishable-goods movement will continue as usual during the holiday period.
