Import-export activities will be closed for 8 days at Sonamasjid Land Port

On the occasion of the biggest religious festival of the traditional religion, Sharadiya Durga Puja, import-export activities will be closed for eight consecutive days through the Sonamasjid Land Port in Chapainawabganj. However, the movement of passport-holding passengers through the immigration route will continue every day. Sources related to the port have confirmed this information.

Sources related to the port said that no goods will be imported or exported through this land port from tomorrow, September 26 to October 3. Activities at the Indian side of Mahdipur Land Port will also be closed during the same period. Import and export activities at the port will resume as usual from October 4.

The source also said that like every year, due to the closure of activities on the Indian side on the occasion of Durga Puja, import-export activities will also be closed on the Bangladesh side. However, official work and administrative activities of the customs department in the port area will continue.

Kamal Khan, operations manager of Panama Port Link Limited, which operates the Sonamasjid Land Port, said that the port customs has informed in a letter that all import and export activities at the port will be closed on October 1 and 2 due to the government holiday on the occasion of Durga Puja. On the other hand, the authorities of the Mahdipur Land Port in India, opposite the Sonamasjid, have informed in a letter that all port activities will be closed from September 27 to October 2 on the occasion of Durga Puja.

He also said that the port will have weekly holidays on Friday, September 26 and Friday, October 3. As a result, there will be no import and export at the port for a total of 8 consecutive days. After the closure, the port's import and export activities will resume on Saturday, October 4.

Mostafizur Rahman, convener of the Sonamasjid Land Port C&F Agent Association, said that like every year, the Mahdipur Land Port in India will be closed this year too. Therefore, in coordination with the businessmen of both countries, we have also decided to suspend port activities for eight days. He said that some of the port's own activities including loading, unloading, warehousing and transportation of internal goods will continue during the closure. Customs will remain open except on public holidays. Passport holders will continue to travel through Sonamasjid and Mahdipur immigration routes every day as usual.

Sonamasjid land port in Chapainawabganj is one of the busiest land ports in the country. Hundreds of trucks of goods are imported and exported here every day. Stone, coal, various construction materials and agricultural products mainly come from India. On the other hand, some products are also exported from Bangladesh. Although traders fear temporary losses due to the closure of operations for eight consecutive days, they say that this holiday is held every year around religious festivals, so preparations have been made in advance. This holiday also brings a kind of relief for traders and workers.

Local traders and workers say that they see this holiday as an opportunity to celebrate and spend family time. However, the goods that will be stuck at the port due to the long holiday will be quickly disposed of later.

Port officials said that import and export activities will resume normally from October 4, as scheduled, after the end of Durga Puja.