GUWAHATI : The border trade and immigration centre along the India-Bangladesh boundary closed for the last four years since the outbreak of COVID-19, reopened formally on Thursday in Assam’s South Salmara district, an official said.

Mankachar’s AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam along with senior district officials were present on the occasion. Islam said the closure of the centre had led to great difficulties for students, traders and even patients coming for medical treatment from the neighbouring country to the state.

During the last four years, the people from the lower and central part of Assam had to go to Bangladesh either via Meghalaya’s Dawki or through Kolkata, which caused immense inconvenience to them, he said.

Assam has two immigration centres for Bangladesh – one at Sutarkandi in Karimganj district, which was also closed during the pandemic but later reopened, and the other at Mankachar. Assam shares a 262-km-long border with Bangladesh.