Benapole port: Revenue exceeds target by Tk316cr while imports decline

Despite diplomatic tensions with India and several days of work abstention and "complete shutdown" by NBR officials, Benapole Customs House reported revenue collection exceeding its target by Tk316.51 crore in the last fiscal year.

According to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Benapole Customs had a revenue target of Tk6,705 crore for FY25. However, the revenue collection stood at Tk7,021.51 crore – 4.72% higher than the target.

Benapole customs officials say revenue collection increased significantly despite a sharp decline in imports through the port.

In FY25, import volume dropped by 62,464 tonnes compared to the previous year, yet revenue rose by Tk748.96 crore. On the other hand, exports through the port rose by 30,665 tonnes compared to FY24.

"Although overall imports declined by 8%, revenue collection grew by 13.51%," said Commissioner Md Kamruzzaman.

Revenue collection exceeded the target in the current fiscal year as the commissioner and other officials at Benapole Customs House continued attending the office and overseeing operations, said Matiar Rahman, port affairs director of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Emdadul Haque, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Agents Association, said the customs authorities' strict stance against tax evasion played a key role in surpassing the revenue target.

Customs sources said that in FY24, the revenue target for Benapole Customs was Tk5,948 crore, against which Tk6,167.38 crore was collected – surpassing the target by Tk219.38 crore.

Officials say Benapole handles nearly 80% of Bangladesh's land trade with India due to its close proximity and better connectivity with the neighboring country. Imports through the port amount to nearly Tk40,000 crore annually.

According to Benapole Customs sources, the top revenue-generating imports in FY25 included fresh fruits, woven fabrics, aluminum, motor parts, piston engines, diesel engines, ferro-silico manganese, iron towers, latex, tubes, pipes, and steel blades.

However, following the shift in the country's political landscape after 5 August last year, diplomatic tensions between Bangladesh and India led to a halt in yarn imports from India through Benapole, as well as the suspension of exports of ready-made garments, jute, and jute products from Bangladesh.

Mamun Tarafdar, deputy director of Benapole Port, said infrastructure development at the port is currently underway. "Once completed, it will further boost both imports and exports," he added.

Export earnings increased by Tk87cr from Akhaura port

Meanwhile, export earnings from the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria increased by nearly Tk87 crore in the last fiscal year. However, irregular imports from India led to a drop in revenue collection at the port.

According to data from the Akhaura Land Customs Station, goods worth Tk514.34 crore were exported to India through Akhaura land port port in FY25. The top export items included frozen fish, processed foods, plastic furniture, cement, and PVC products.

During the same period, goods worth Tk7.31 crore – mainly cumin, lentils, and cashew nuts – were imported from India, generating Tk4.16 crore in government revenue.

In comparison, Bangladesh exported goods worth Tk427.88 crore through the port in FY24. Imports during that fiscal year stood at Tk7 crore, from which the government earned Tk4.68 crore in revenue.

Traders fear that India's import ban on six types of Bangladeshi products, imposed in May this year, could reduce export trade through the Akhaura land port by nearly 30% in the current fiscal year.

However, port and customs authorities have advised exploring new product markets in India to offset the losses and boost exports.

Traders at the Akhaura land port said that in May, the Indian government imposed a ban on the import of several Bangladeshi products through land ports in Tripura, Assam, Mizoram, and Meghalaya.

The restricted items include ready-made garments, processed foods, fruit-flavored juices, cotton, plastic and PVC products, and wooden furniture. Of these, all but garments and wooden furniture were regularly exported through Akhaura port.

Nesar Uddin Bhuiyan, senior vice president of the Akhaura C&F Agents Association, said, "We urge the government to hold discussions with Indian authorities to ensure the ban is lifted as soon as possible."

Reema Akter, assistant commissioner of the Akhaura Land Customs Station, said, "Since some products are currently restricted by the Indian government, traders should focus on finding new export items. That will help revive and expand export trade."