Passenger travel via land from India banned from April 26

Dhaka: The government has announced to ban passenger travel from India to Bangladesh effective April 26 for the next 14 days, said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen today.

The move follows the government’s effort to curb the spread of coronavirus as the severe surge in Covid-19 infections has been witnessed in the neighboring county India.

"We are closing it for the passengers for the time being, but trade will continue," the foreign minister added.

Also, air passenger travel between India and Bangladesh has been suspended since April 14 due to the surge in infections.

Experts have been long recommending the closure of the land border with India to contain the spread of the coronavirus variant.

In a meeting on April 20, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 also suggested that the borders should not reopen until the situation in India develops.

The new variant, which has a so-called double mutation, is reported to be fuelling India's second wave of coronavirus cases that have made it the world's second worst Covid-hit country, surpassing Brazil, after the US.

India has reported more than 15 million Covid-19 cases so far and over 175,600 fatalities.