The government has announced closure of road communications with India from 6:00am Monday to 6:00pm on 9 May.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen told Prothom Alo that the decision has been taken due to the massive spike of Covid-19 infections in India.

An inter-ministerial meeting, chaired by the foreign secretary and attended by high commissioner of Bangladesh to India and other officials, has also decided that the Bangladeshi citizens currently traveling to India for treatment and having visas with validity for less than 15 days could enter Bangladesh through only Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari land ports.

They will have to take permission from Bangladesh missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala and show a mandatory Covid-negative certificate done through PCR test within seventy-two hours of entry, the meeting decided.

People entering Bangladesh through this process would have to stay officially quarantined for two weeks.

All kinds of human movement through other land ports except the three ports between the two countries would completely stay suspended for two weeks.

According to the decision of the inter-ministerial meeting, the vehicles carrying imported goods from India would enter Bangladesh only after being properly sterilized while the concerned drivers and helpers would have to observe the Covid-19 safety protocol strictly.

Railroads would be encouraged for export and import of goods between the two countries in this period.

The meeting also decided that the Bangladesh missions in New Delhi, Kolkata and Agartala would convey the relevant information in this regard to the concerned authorities in India.

Secretary of security services division of home ministry, secretary (east) of foreign affairs ministry, additional secretary of cabinet division, representatives from prime minister’s office health and family welfare ministry, commerce ministry, BGB and Bangladesh missions in Kolkata and Agartala also took part at the meeting.