The Benapole land port in Jessore experienced an unprecedented surge in passenger traffic during the Eid-ul-Fitr and Bengali New Year holidays, with a remarkable number of travelers crossing between Bangladesh and India.

Over the course of the five-day period from Eid day to Monday, more than 32,000 individuals made their way between the two countries, marking a significant increase compared to regular days.

The influx of passengers overwhelmed staff at both the Benapole and Petrapole immigration checkposts in India, leading to long queues and delays in the immigration process, particularly at Petrapole.

According to sources at the Benapole immigration, a total of 32,283 passport-holding passengers traveled between Bangladesh and India during this period. Of these, 19,000 entered India from Bangladesh, while 13,283 arrived in Bangladesh from India.

As the government holiday concluded, the number of passengers returning from India surged further.

Kamruzzaman Biswas, officer-in-charge (OC) of Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police, highlighted that the number of passengers exceeded 32,000 from Eid day until Monday afternoon, a stark contrast to the typical 5,000-6,000 passengers during regular days.

This surge, Biswas explained, was fueled by people traveling to India for sightseeing and medical treatment during the extended Eid and New Year holidays.

Rashid Ahmed, a resident of Jessore, shared his family's experience of celebrating Eid and New Year in India. He traveled to India a day before Eid for medical treatment for his wife and son, as well as for leisure. However, finding accommodation in Kolkata proved challenging due to the influx of Bangladeshi visitors, with hotel prices rising steeply. Despite the difficulties, they managed to find suitable accommodation for their family's stay.