A modern passenger terminal is being built at the Petrapole land port to make the movement of people between India and Bangladesh smoother and end long queues.

The new passenger terminal, likely to become operational in December, will be able to handle over 20,000 passengers daily and 2,500 passengers at any given time.

Sources said the new terminal building spanning over an area of 60,000sqm — being constructed by Shapoorji Pallonji with an initial projected cost of Rs 450 crore — will look like a modern airport.

Construction began in February 2020 but was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Once ready, the terminal will be a visual treat from the architectural point of view,” said a source.

The three-tier terminal building, with direct access to NH35, will include counters for immigration, security checking, a waiting space, duty-free shops, a cafeteria, medicine shops, money exchange counters, belt conveyors, office spaces, a hostel, and other facilities. The basement will have parking facilities.

At present, passengers — particularly those entering India from Bangladesh — have to endure a long waiting period for clearances as its present infrastructure can handle 550 passengers at any time.

“The new facility will be able to provide services to 2,500 passengers at any point of time while being able to clear 20,000 passengers daily,” LPAI’s Petrapole Manager Kamlesh Saini told The Telegraph.

In 2022, as many as 13,77,368 passengers passed through Petrapole port. The number till February this year stood at 3,56,463, an official of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) in Petrapole said.

“There will be a complete makeover at the Petrapole integrated check-post by the end of 2023. Passengers can get a never-before experience of smooth movement once the new passenger terminal becomes operational,” he added.

The Centre has also planned to boost bilateral trade by building a giant cargo terminal gate — the second such at Petrapole.

The gate, named Maitri Dwar (friendship gate), with an eight-lane vehicle access channel, will multiply the movement of goods for export and import between the two countries.

The gate is expected to be functional in December, as the main infrastructure on the Indian side is ready and Bangladesh has begun the job on its part at Benapole port.

At present, around 400 export-bound cargo vehicles can access the port daily to enter Bangladesh. With the new cargo terminal, the flow of export-bound cargo vehicles will more than double, said an official.

“Cargo movement will go up once Maitri Dwar is opened,” said Saini.

Built by the LPAI under the home ministry, Petrapole ICP, near Bongaon, is the largest land port in India and the ninth largest in South Asia.

Bangladesh is India’s largest development partner in the world and the biggest trade partner in South Asia. In the last five years, bilateral trade has grown from around $7 billion to around $18 billion.