Vehicle terminal construction at Benapole port resumes after 1.5 months

The construction of a 16-acre cargo vehicle terminal at the Benapole Land Port resumed on Wednesday (13 March) after 1.5 months' closure following objections from India's Border Security Force (BSF).

The construction work, which was halted amid objections from India's Border Security Force, resumed following a bilateral meeting between Indian and Bangladeshi authorities on Monday (11 March), said Benapole Land Port Director Rezaul Karim.

Karim said the construction work is expected to end by this June.

The construction of the cargo terminal was halted on 25 January after the BSF alleged that the construction violated a 150-yard border buffer zone.

Following consecutive correspondence between the two nations, a coordination committee meeting was held at the land port on Monday. 

Through discussions among the delegations from Bangladesh and India, both parties demonstrated a constructive approach to resolving the complexities arising from the construction of the cargo terminal project within 150 yards of the border.

Following the return of the Indian delegation, the BSF granted approval on Tuesday to resume the construction work. Subsequently, the relevant contractor resumed work on Wednesday afternoon.