First goods train with 50 electronically sealed containers leaves for Bangladesh

It checks smuggling as none can open the wagons, saves time and facilitates faster trade

July 26, 2020 09:37 pm | Updated 09:37 pm IST - Kolkata

The India-Bangladesh border. Representational image

The India-Bangladesh border. Representational image

The first goods train with 50 electronically sealed containers left Majerhat in Kolkata, crossed Petrapole station in the North 24 Parganas and entered Bangladesh on Sunday. The trains have been introduced to eliminate smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border.

“The train will put a check on the smuggling activities because the containers are electronically sealed so it will not be possible for smugglers to open it and smuggling baggage cannot be placed inside,” a press statement by the South Bengal Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) said.

Over the past one month, six persons were arrested while trying to cross the international border using the goods trains. Two of them were minors who were rescued by the BSF and three persons were returning to Bangladesh after doing some work in the country. S.S. Guleria, DIG and PRO of the South Bengal Frontier of the BSF, said container trains will come as an advantage as troops guarding the border will not have to physically check every compartment. “It will also save time and facilitate faster trade.”

Trade has been going on through the railway route through the international checkpoints Petrapole (India) and Benapole (Bangladesh) even during the lockdown.

Four fishermen released

The BSF also handed over to Bangladesh four fishermen who have crossed into Indian waters on July 24. Two engine-fitted boats along four fishermen entered the Indian territory while fishing in river Ganga in Murshidabad district.

“During the preliminary questioning, we found that they all belonged to the same family,” a press statement of BSF said. The BSF also handed over a protest note to the company commander of the Border Guard Bangladesh asking them to ensure that “Bangladeshi nationals do not violate the international boundary and show respect in maintaining its sanctity”.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.