'Reopen Indian transit route thru' Chilahati'

Local people have demanded reopening of the route immediately through bilateral talks of high officials of both the countries.

Chilahati Land Customs Checkpoint here became inoperative due to the Indian Immigration authorities' unilateral decision on June 28, 2002. The international transit route had been in use for the outgoing and incoming travellers of both the countries during the 1953-2002 period. Every year thousands of people used to travel through the route, according to locals.

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A large number of Biharis (Urdu speaking people) living in Saidpur Railway City face problems to meet their relatives in India. They had come to Bangladesh as refugees after partition of the sub-continent in 1947.

Chilahati Land Customs Checkpoint officials tried to persuade their Indian counterparts to reopen the route but in vain.

At present, five Land Customs personnel are posted at Chilahati checkpoint. They include a Customs inspector, a female MLSS, two guards and a peon employed on master role basis.

In response to a query by this corespondent, peon Farid told that he had been a man of the locality. Now his duty is to hoist the national flag of Bangladesh daily while other personnel stay at Saidpur and Nilphamari. They draw salary without work.

After closure of Holdibari checkpoint, Bangladeshi passport holders began to travel through Burimari checkpoint in Lalmonirhat and Chengrabandha checkpoint in India crossing a long distance. Many Bangladeshi travellers have alleged, they are being harrassed by the Indian hoodlums in this route.