Bihar’s deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, today expressed his deep concern over the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and severely condemned it.
This morning, he, along with his mother, wife and daughter, visited Dakshineswar Bhavatarini Temple to offer prayers. In response to questions from journalists, he mentioned that he prayed to Bhavatarini Ma at Dakshineswar for not only the well-being of the people of Bihar but also for minorities in Bangladesh, who are in a helpless condition there. When asked about the current situation in Bangladesh, the deputy chief minister said that what is happening in Bangladesh is not right. “The country is now under the control of terrorists, who unleashed terror and violence. Women and children especially from minority religions were brutally killed. Miscreants are looting valuables and vandalising the residences of people from minority communities, which is a matter of concern. I offer my prayers to Goddess Kali for their safety and for restoring peace quickly there,” said Mr Choudhury.
Due to the unrest in Bangladesh, border trade remained closed throughout the day on Wednesday at Petrapole, the country’s largest land port. Export-import activities with Bangladesh had come to a halt from 3pm on Monday. According to port sources, 724 Indian trucks, carrying goods are still stranded at the Benapole port in Bangladesh. On Wednesday, the port authorities of both countries held a meeting at the Zero Point of the Petrapole-Benapole border to discuss the possibility of resuming trade. Kartik Chakraborty, the secretary of the Petrapole Clearing Agent Staff Welfare Association, said, “During the meeting, the Benapole port authorities were asked to make arrangements to unload the goods from the stranded trucks quickly. After that, we will decide on resuming exports.”
Meanwhile, due to the export suspension, trucks loaded with fish are stuck at the Petrapole port. According to port sources, on Monday morning, four trucks carrying fish arrived from Odisha for export to Bangladesh. However, since the concerned authorities did not grant permission, the trucks are still waiting. The fish export authorities claimed that two of these trucks have started showing signs of spoilage. Many are questioning why perishable goods like fish were brought to the port when trade is suspended due to the situation in Bangladesh.
On Wednesday, the Kolkata-Dhaka bus service ‘Sohardya’ returned to Kolkata from the border after dropping off passengers at Petrapole. Meanwhile, the situation in Bangladesh is affecting the economy. Since Monday, the number of people crossing the border has significantly decreased. Local food stalls, sweet shops, and currency exchange centres remained deserted. Everyone is waiting for the situation in Bangladesh to return to normal.
Mihir Sardar, an auto-rickshaw driver on the Petrapole port-Bongaon station route, said, “There are 92 autos operating on our route. On regular days, I usually make 6-7 trips a day, earning Rs 200 per trip. Today, half the day has passed, and I haven’t had a single passenger yet!”
Some passengers, stranded in Bangladesh, managed to return to India on this day. Gitanjali Mishra, a resident of Bankura, who had gone to visit relatives in Bangladesh, returned to Petrapole and said, “I feel like I’ve been saved by returning home. There is vandalism in that country. I was so scared that I lost my appetite.”
Another Indian resident, Naren Panja, said, “I feel good to be back. I was staying at a relative’s house. The bus service was suspended for days. I returned as soon as the bus service resumed on Wednesday morning.”