India-Bangla border trade suspended on Bengal side

With the BDR revolt spreading outside Dhaka, trading activities on the India-Bangladesh border at Petrapole came to a standstill on Thursday, and normal traffic movement remained stalled although the international border was not officially sealed as yet.

"All the Integrated Checkposts (ICPs) have been closed by the Bangladesh authorities on their side and normal trade and traffic movement have come to a halt as a result," IG BSF (South Bengal Frontier) CV Muralidhar said here.

However, he said that BSF jawans were still on alert as per instruction by the Union Home Ministry.

"Our men are on maximum alert along the border, but no additional deployment has been made," Muralidhar said.

A large number of goods vehicles were stranded along the border and services of the Kolkata-Dhaka international bus service affected, he said.

According to Samir Ghosh, an exporter and senior member of a city-based trade body, trade activities at Petrapole in North 24-parganas district of West Bengal have remained suspended since 11 am on Thursday.

He said Bangladesh Armymen were seen along the border which was usually manned by the Banagladesh Rifles personnel.