Guwahati, 26th July: The border trade and immigration centre along the India-Bangladesh boundary, which had been closed for four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was officially reopened on Thursday in Assam’s South Salmara district. The reopening ceremony was attended by Mankachar’s AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam and senior district officials.
MLA Aminul Islam highlighted the significant difficulties faced by students, traders, and patients from Bangladesh seeking medical treatment in Assam during the centre’s closure. He noted that during this period, people from the lower and central parts of Assam had to travel to Bangladesh either through Meghalaya’s Dawki or Kolkata, causing them considerable inconvenience.
Assam has two immigration centres for Bangladesh. One is at Sutarkandi in Karimganj district, which was also closed during the pandemic but later reopened, and the other is at Mankachar. The state shares a 262-km-long border with Bangladesh.
The reopening of the Mankachar centre is expected to ease travel and trade, providing much-needed relief to those affected by its prolonged closure.