The spread of the coronavirus has prompted a halt in trade at two transit points on the India-Bangladesh border.

The two transit points are located at Changrabandha in Cooch Behar and Fulbari in Jalpaiguri district. Trade, however, is continuing at the Hilli transit point in South Dinajpur and Mahadipur in Malda district, sources said.

“The restrictions will be effective till March 31. After that we will meet to take stock of the situation and decide on the course of action,” said Bimal Kumar Ghosh, secretary of the Changrabandha Exporters’ Association.

The Changrabandha Clearing and Forwarding Agents Welfare Association and the Changrabandha Truck Owners’ Association have supported the decision, he said.

At Changrabandha, which has Burimari in Bangladesh on the other side, goods worth around $2 lakh are exported to Bangladesh and items worth around $1.25 lakh are imported to India every day.

On an average, 600 trucks enter Bangladesh from India through Changrabandha every day carrying dolomite, stones, pebbles and boulders. From Bangladesh, biscuits, fruit juices and cotton are imported. Around 250 trucks from India and Bhutan carrying boulders enter Bangladesh through Fulbari.

Petrapole curbs

The North 24-Parganas administration has imposed restrictions on the movement of lorries from outside Bengal to the Petrapole land port. Beginning Friday night, police are telling outstation lorries to

either return or remain stationed at nearby parking lots.

The initiative has prompted many transporters to turn back with their goods meant for Bangladesh. Some lorries have got stranded, while some others have unloading their goods in open spaces to be ferried by local carriers.