Border Trade and Immigration Centre Reopens in Assam After Four-Year Closure

Mankachar, July 26 — The border trade and immigration centre along the India-Bangladesh boundary in Assam’s South Salmara district, closed since the outbreak of COVID-19, formally reopened on Thursday, according to an official statement.

The reopening ceremony in Mankachar was attended by AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam and senior district officials.

Islam highlighted the significant hardships faced by students, traders, and patients from Bangladesh who sought medical treatment in Assam during the centre’s four-year closure. He noted that, during this period, people from the lower and central parts of Assam had to travel to Bangladesh either via Meghalaya’s Dawki or through Kolkata, resulting in considerable inconvenience.

Assam has two immigration centres for Bangladesh: one at Sutarkandi in Karimganj district, which was also closed during the pandemic but has since reopened, and the other at Mankachar. Assam shares a 262-km-long border with Bangladesh.