Dhaka: Travel has been stopped between two neighbouring countries — India and Bangladesh — with handwritten passport through Benapole border from Thursday.

The immigration authorities at Benapole check post put an end to the effectiveness of the handwritten passports for entering India from Bangladesh and vice versa, reported United News of Bangladesh.

Benapole immigration check post officer-in-charge Tariqul Islam said they took the decision following a directive from the Home Ministry.

Immigration police bared four Indian citizens and a Bangladeshi from crossing the border point using handwritten passports in the last two days.

On 29 July, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry took a decision that no Bangladeshi citizen would be allowed to travel abroad with handwritten passport from 24 November.

The ministry came up with the decision following directives of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and also asked all Bangladeshi passport holders, both at home and abroad, to swap their handwritten passports with the new machine readable ones by 24 November.