Bangladesh closes border with India amid rise in COVID-19 cases

Land routes for people's movement to and from the neighbouring country would be closed for two weeks but the goods-laden vehicles would be allowed to operate

The India-Bangladesh border. File

Bangladesh on Sunday closed its border with India for two weeks in view of the sharp increase in the coronavirus cases in the neighbouring country.

"We are closing it (border) for the passengers for the time being…," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters.

"Bangladesh took the decision in view of the rapid increase of coronavirus infection in India,” he added.

He said that the land routes for people's movement to and from the neighbouring country would be closed for two weeks but the goods-laden vehicles would be allowed to operate.

"The higher authorities have decided to close the borders for two weeks...The land routes with India will be shut from April 26," Home Minister Asaduzzamman Khan Kamal told the Kalerkantha newspaper.

The border closure came as the COVID-19 situation kept suspended flight operations between the two countries since April 14.