Bangladesh unrest hits India’s biggest land port: Petrapole halts trucks briefly over driver safety fears

Truck movement was briefly stalled and security tightened at Petrapole after unrest in Bangladesh raised concerns over the safety of Indian drivers at Benapole.

India’s largest land port at Petrapole was placed on alert on Saturday after fresh violence in Bangladesh raised concerns over the safety of Indian trucks and drivers at Benapole on the Bangladeshi side, The Indian Express reported.

Truck movement was briefly stalled for about an hour on Saturday morning as clearing agents flagged risks to Indian drivers and helpers operating inside Benapole land port.

Border meeting held after tensions flare

According to The Indian Express, a meeting was held on Saturday at the Zero Point between representatives of Indian clearing agents, Bangladeshi traders, the Border Security Force and the Border Guard Bangladesh.

Petrapole, located in Bongaon around 80 km from Kolkata, is a critical node for India-Bangladesh land trade.

Unrest follows killing of youth leader

The heightened alert followed violence in Bangladesh after the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi on Thursday. Protesters vandalised two newspaper offices in Dhaka, while the residence of India’s Assistant High Commissioner in Chattogram was attacked, The Indian Express reported.

On Friday, a group on the Bangladeshi side near Petrapole allegedly entered the no-man’s land and raised anti-India slogans. Sources cited by The Indian Express said the Border Guard Bangladesh brought the situation under control quickly. As truck movement is restricted on Fridays, trade was not affected that day.

Drivers told to stay inside port area

Concerns resurfaced on Saturday when truck movement resumed. Kartik Chakraborty, secretary of the Petrapole Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association, told The Indian Express that Indian drivers and helpers have now been advised not to leave the Benapole port area.

“Sometimes they visit local markets to buy food and other items. Now, if they need food or water, they will contact us and we will relay it to the authorities in Bangladesh,” Chakraborty said.

Trade volumes already under pressure

Petrapole authorities said around 80 to 100 Indian goods-laden trucks with drivers are present at Benapole daily, with drivers typically staying two to three days until unloading is completed.

Trade volumes have already dropped sharply since protests began in Bangladesh in July and trade restrictions followed. Earlier, 550–600 Indian trucks entered Bangladesh daily and around 250 trucks entered India. Currently, only 200–250 trucks move into Bangladesh and 90–100 trucks enter India each day, according to port officials quoted by The Indian Express.

Why Petrapole matters

Since becoming operational in February 2016, Petrapole has handled nearly 30% of India-Bangladesh land-based trade. In 2022–23, trade through the port stood at Rs 30,378.47 crore with 1,42,721 cargo truck movements and 19,37,141 passenger movements. In 2023–24, trade rose marginally to Rs 30,420.92 crore with 1,45,280 cargo truck movements and 23,48,707 passenger movements.

A senior BSF official told The Indian Express that security arrangements have been tightened, adding that authorities are monitoring the situation closely to ensure the safety of infrastructure and personnel.