Passengers from India and Bangladesh are allegedly receiving  certificates stating they don't have COVID-19 without even undergoing any test at the Joynagar international check post in Darshana of Chuadanga, allowing them to breeze through immigration by brandishing it.

It is mandatory for all passengers to undergo a Rapid Antigen Test for Tk 100 at the Darshana checkpost.

However, the health workers simply charge the test fee and provide a covid negative certificate. Even their samples are not collected, passengers alleged.

Rekha Rani Saha, a Bangladeshi national, arrived in the country from India on Thursday through the Darshana checkpost, and relayed her experience to UNB.

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“I was supposed to undergo a health check-up at the health screening booth of the Health Department as soon as I entered the check post, but nothing like that happened,” said Rekha.

“Tk 100 was also taken from me and then they handed me a negative certificate although they had no way of knowing this without collecting my sample,” she said.

Two more female passengers from Bangladesh said they were charged Tk 200 for the Covid test and their samples were also collected. But they were not provided any receipt regarding the test fee. The suspicion here is that the people manning the screening booth are pocketing the fee. 

Meanwhile, in the registrar book of the health screening booth for Darshana check post, where the names of those who get tested are recorded, Rekha Rani Saha’s name is not there.

Asked how Rekha Rani was able to receive a negative certificate even though her name was not listed in the registrar book, Medical Technologist (Sanitary Inspector) of Damurhuda Upazila Health Complex, as well as the officer-in-charge of the health screening booth, Jamaat Ali, said, “She may have mixed into the crowd. Sometimes receipts cannot be issued and handed over because of the huge crowd.”

He also admitted that patients with cancer, skin and heart disease and those under 12 were provided Covid-negative certificates without testing during the immigration to help them avoid lengthy formalities that take up valuable time.

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SI Abdul Alim, in-charge of Darshana Immigration, said any Indian passenger who tests positive for Covid-19 are sent back. Bangladeshis are sent to the isolation center at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital. “However, while crossing the border, you must have a negative certificate. There is no scope for corruption here.”

In this regard, Chuadanga Civil Surgeon Dr Sajjat Hasan said, “If this happens then it is a sensitive issue. I’ll look into the matter. If such an incident is found to be true, action will be taken against the accused.”

According to Darshana Immigration sources, from January 1 to January 13, 1,804 Bangladeshis and 1,126 Indians entered Bangladesh from India using this checkpost.

On the other hand from Bangladesh,  1,337 Bangladeshis and 1,725 Indians went to India through Darshana check post. Of them, 11 Bangladeshi and 13 Indian nationals were tested positive with Covid-19 during this period. Though Bangladeshi nationals infected with covid were allowed to enter the country, Indian nationals were not allowed to enter and were sent back to India.