Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
With the Durga Puja festivities drawing near, thousands of Bangladeshi nationals are making their way to India to join in the celebrations with family and friends across the border. The surge in travelers has led to heavy rush at Benapole, Akhaura, and other major land ports, where long queues of visitors were seen waiting for immigration clearance.
Officials at the Benapole land port said the number of travelers increased significantly over the past week. “Around 12,000–15,000 people are crossing into India daily, most of them Hindus going to celebrate Puja with relatives,” a senior immigration officer noted.
Apart from visiting family, many Bangladeshi Hindus also prefer to witness the grand scale of Durga Puja in Kolkata and other Indian cities, where the festival has a centuries-old tradition of large-scale pandals, cultural events, and vibrant processions.
Travel agencies in Dhaka reported that tickets for buses and flights bound for Kolkata sold out weeks in advance. “Demand was overwhelming this year. Even additional buses had to be arranged to handle the rush,” said an operator at a popular travel agency in Motijheel.
Indian authorities, anticipating the spike in cross-border movement, have already taken measures to streamline immigration services at Petrapole, Agartala, and other entry points. Security has also been tightened to ensure smooth movement during the festive season.
For many Bangladeshi Hindus, the trip is both religious and emotional. “Every year we visit our ancestral home in West Bengal during Puja. It’s a time to reconnect with our roots,” said Sujata Roy, a traveler from Khulna, while waiting at the Benapole crossing.