Trade through Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria will remain suspended for nine days from September 29 to October 7 on the occasion of Durga Puja and Laxmi Puja, officials confirmed on Saturday (Sept 27).

During this period, customs office operations will continue as usual, and passport-holding travellers will be able to cross the Akhaura immigration checkpoint between Bangladesh and India without interruption.

Faruk Mia, general secretary of the Fish Exporters’ Association at Akhaura, said the decision to halt imports and exports was taken jointly by traders from both countries in observance of the Hindu religious festivals. Normal trade activities are scheduled to resume on 8 October.

Revenue officer Wahiduzzaman Khan of Akhaura Land Customs Station said customs activities would remain operational during the break to ensure passenger services.

Immigration officer-in-charge Mohammad Abdus Sattar added that the checkpoint will continue to facilitate cross-border travel daily from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Akhaura is one of Bangladesh’s largest land ports and exclusively export-oriented. Frozen fish, cement, edible oil and other goods are regularly shipped to Agartala, the capital of India’s Tripura state, before being distributed to other northeastern states.

SMS/