Re-open Chilahati-Holdibari transit route

People of Nilphamari, Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts want early re-opening of Chilahati-Holdibari transit route for their convenient journey to and from India, especially against the backdrop of Indian premier Narendra Modi's recent visit to Bangladesh.

This route had been in use till 2002, facilitating a good number of people to travel to and from India daily.

But in June 2002, Indian authorities unilaterally decided to close their Holdibari land customs station on the other side of the border in Cooch Bihar district of West Bengal, 22 kilometres from Chilahati land customs station in Nilphamari district, making Chilahati-Holdibari transit route virtually inoperative.

Since then, people of Nilphamari, Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts requiring travel to India have to cover a long distance to Burimari land customs station in Lalmonirhat district to go to Chengra Bandha land customs station in India for formalities for the purpose.

"When I visited India last year, businessmen of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal expressed the need of reopening Chilahati-Holdibari transit route," said Mostofa Azad Babu, president of Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Assistant commissioner of customs in Nilphamari, Muhibur Islam Bhuiyan said they formally sent messages to their Indian counterpart several times in last couple of years, asking for resuming transit operations through the route but the latter did not respond.

A large number of Bangladeshi citizens from the area go to India every year for study, treatment, business, visiting relatives and other purposes, sources said.

Re-opening of Chilahati-Holdibari transit route has become all the more essential for trade, tourism and other purposes as Indian premier Narendra Modi's recent visit to Bangladesh helped enhance mutual co-operation between the two countries, said Abdul Wahed Sarker, president of Nilphamari Chamber of Commerce and Industries.