275 trucks stranded in Benapole, Petrapole
India's Border Security Force (BSF) has restricted the movement of 275 trucks at Petrapole and adjoining Benapole ports as a quarantine measure, putting drivers and authorities in a quagmire.
Two hundred Indian trucks entered Benapole while 75 Bangladeshi ones Petrapole just before the imposition of a lockdown on March 22 on the biggest channel for trade between the neighbouring nations.
On June 8, only imports from India were allowed.
Since then, the BSF has been refusing to allow any of the 275 trucks to go back to their origins after releasing their goods, as it believes the vehicles may spread coronavirus.
Moreover, though the BSF allowed the drivers and helpers of all 75 Bangladeshi vehicles to return home, they are not accepting the Indian drivers.
The empty Indian trucks are now occupying the parking sheds, creating traffic jam and obstructing the release of newly imported goods, said Kalim Uddin, a leader of Benapole Port Workers Union.
"We had a small amount of money in our pocket that we received as truck rent while entering Bangladesh three months ago," said Indian truck driver Sushant Kumar.
"We are struggling now to buy food. Moreover, we have to sleep inside our trucks, as we are not allowed to go outside the port."
The port authority has been providing food to the Indian truck drivers, but still it is not enough to feed them all every time, said an official.
"We had requested the Petrapole port authorities and Indian truck owners repeatedly to take back their vehicles and send our 75 trucks to Bangladesh in several meetings we had in the no-man's land," said Mamun Kabir Tarafdar, director for traffic at the Benapole port.
"Now India is not allowing the drivers of the 75 trucks to enter Petrapole and take back their vehicles also."
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