BALURGHAT: With the initiative taken by the Immigration departments of both India and Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi residents who were stuck in India following the pandemic and safety restrictions imposed have started returning to Bangladesh through Hili International checkpost.
According to an official from Hili Immigration department, 37 Bangladeshi residents returned on Friday and 14 on Saturday.
"At the time of return, their passports and visas have thoroughly been checked at the Hili International checkpost. Besides, the residents have to show their Covid testing reports to the on duty officials.
It is mandatory to have produced the negative test-reports before the officials in case of return. In addition to this, the residents have to show their valid passports and visas," the official said.
The official said the Bangladeshi inhabitants were stuck in different parts of India as a result of the lockdown due to the second wave of pandemic.
"Most of the residents were coming from Bangladesh for medical purposes. The validity of their visas expired due to overstay. Recently their prayer of returning to their home country from Indian side was granted through a special permission from the High-Commissioners of both countries," said the official.
Sources said the Bangladeshi Immigration department has directed their citizens to produce a negative Covid testing report at the checkpost at the time of return.
Following the direction, the residents have to do their RT-PCR test before 72 hours of return and thermal scanning is a must at the checkpost. Meanwhile, around several hundreds of Bangladeshis were coming to India through the Hili checkpost before the pandemic with their valid passports and visas.
Recently, the Bangladesh government has stopped granting permission to the residents to come to Indian side following the second wave of pandemic.