Benapole

Benapole (Bengali: বেনাপোল) is a town at Sharsha Upazila in the Jessore District of Bangladesh. The Petrapole Customs station of India is situated across the border and since 1947, many people have travelled between what is now Bangladesh and India through Benapole Customs / Land port station. This is one of important rail transit point of railway link between Bangladesh and India.

Benapole
Port City
Trucks at Benapole Land Port
Benapole Show map of Khulna division Benapole Show map of Bangladesh
Coordinates: 23°2′31″N 88°53′44″E
Country	Bangladesh
Region	Khulna
District	Jessore
Upazila	Sharsha
Area
• Total	14.22 km2 (5.49 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	36,524
• Density	2,600/km2 (6,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+6 (BST)

Urbanization of Benapole started in the 1990s along the Grand Trunk Road. In April 1971, the operational area of the sector 8 comprised the districts of Kushtia, Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, Faridpur and Patuakhali. At the end of May the sector was reconstituted and comprised the districts of Kuhstia, Jessore, Khulna, Satkhira and the northern part of Faridpur district. Benapole served as the headquarters of sector 8 in the liberation war.^{[citation needed]}

It is the site of the largest land port in Bangladesh.^[1]

Skynet Broadband Service in Benapole

Skynet Broadband Service is widely recognized as the first organized Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the Benapole Port Thana under Sharsha Upazila, Bangladesh. It began providing stable internet service on 1 February 2012, well before BTRC formally issued its ISP license (License No: 14.32.0000.702.47.291.20.690) on 27 March 2018, specifically for the Benapole Port area.

According to the Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), the founder of Skynet Broadband Service is Md. Noushad Talha, and its ISPAB membership number is C-039. The company is known for pioneering fiber-optic broadband deployment in the locality, and it remains a leading provider in the region.

• Source:*

- [BTRC Official License List (Published: 23 Dec 2024)](https://btrc.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/btrc.portal.gov.bd/page/930b96b7_8cce_46c7_b307_00b83f3a4a23/2024-12-23-10-47-c0c9a72dbe72b2500f13efa0b972c955.pdf) - [ISPAB Member Details](https://ispab.org/member-details/MTM5MQ==)

Customs

On the Bangladesh-India land border, Benapole land port is the most important land port of Bangladesh and is operated by the Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA). About 90% of the imported Indian goods enter Bangladesh through this port. Geographically Benapole is a major strategic point for border trading between India and Bangladesh owing to its proximity to Kolkata. Primarily Benapole land port was a Land Customs station and gradually it turned into a Customs Division (1984) and later Custom House (1997) in response to its rising importance as in terms of import volume.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2009, 143 staff including 9 officials and 134 employees are working at the Benapole land port. In fiscal year 1996-97 revenue realized from Benapole land port was around Taka 5 billion, at present it is Taka 8.50 billion.^{[citation needed]}

Benapole land port is also lucrative for Indian exporters for its cheaper service and equipment charges. Indian goods receive duty exemption advantage in this land port. The Indian government has also decided to give priority to export in Bangladesh through Benapole-Petrapole border. Kolkata, one of the commercial hubs of India, is only 80 kilometers away from the Petrapole-Benapole border and is involved in development in the area.^{[citation needed]}

Benapole had witnessed a rise of imports by 15 – 20 percent each year. It has become a significant revenue generator for the government since late 1980s. However, port facilities remain under-developed as yet. Carrying capacities of the road from Benapole to Jessore is limited not withstanding regular maintenance. A two-member consultant team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is working to sort out improvement areas in the immigration and customs of the land port and also studying feasibility of Benapole-Petropole border as a corridor of transit in this South Asian region.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

Religions in Benapole (2011)[2]
Religion			Percent
Islam			97.26%
Hinduism			2.71%
Other or not stated			0.03%

As of the 2011 Bangladesh census, Benapole had 8,563 households and a population of 36,524. 7,384 (20.22%) were under 10 years of age. Benapole had an average literacy rate of 56.9%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 977 females per 1000 males.^[2][3]

Transport

Benapole has excellent transport system in the border point between India and Bangladesh.^{[citation needed]}

By road the historical Jessore Road pass through the town from Jashore to Kolkata. The road is also part of the Bangladeshi national highways N706, N711 and Asian Highway 1. It will be also the end point of under- construction Bhanga-Benapole Expressway.^[4]

By railway, Benapole railway station is just 2 km away from the international passenger terminal at the zero point of the border. Two train from Dhaka to Benapole connects through this station, Benapole Express and Ruposhi Bangla Express. And Betna Commuter and Mongla Commuter connects Khulna and Mongla Port. And all the train from Benapole connects Jashore.^[5]

The nearest airport is the Jashore Airport which 42 km away from Benapole.

See also

• Benapole Border Crossing