The border trade and immigration centre along the India-Bangladesh boundary in Assam’s South Salmara district has officially reopened after a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The reopening ceremony on Thursday was attended by Mankachar’s AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam and senior district officials.

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During the ceremony, MLA Aminul Islam highlighted the significant challenges faced by students, traders, and patients from Bangladesh seeking medical treatment in Assam during the centre’s closure.

He noted that the closure forced residents of lower and central Assam to travel to Bangladesh through alternative routes, such as via Meghalaya’s Dawki or Kolkata, leading to considerable inconvenience.

Assam now has two operational immigration centres for Bangladesh: one at Sutarkandi in Karimganj district, which also experienced a temporary closure during the pandemic but has since reopened, and the newly reopened centre at Mankachar.

With a shared border of 262 kilometers, Assam’s reopening of the Mankachar centre marks a significant step towards restoring normalcy and fostering stronger bilateral relations with Bangladesh.