Export revival thru Hili: Tk30cr earnings signal revenue boom

Export activities through Hili Land Port have witnessed a notable surge, resulting in revenue collection exceeding Tk30 crore over the past three months, said officials.

Revenue Officer Md Nizam Uddin of Hili Customs today (10 September) confirmed it, saying the increased exports of Bangladeshi products to India have significantly boosted revenue earnings.

Mentioning that exports of various food items by domestic companies commenced in June this year, he said that from June to 7 September, a total of 3,225 tonnes of locally produced goods were exported through Hili Land Port, generating revenue of over Tk30 crore. 

Nizam Uddin further said exports through Hili Land Port have increased significantly compared to earlier years. 

"Previously, only a handful of products were exported, but now many more are being sent to India," he noted, assuring that exporters are being provided all necessary cooperation.

Hili port saw heavy traffic today as trucks loaded with Bangladeshi products waited for export clearance to India.

Md Yusuf Ali, sub-assistant officer of the Plant Quarantine Department at Hili, told BSS that items currently being exported to India through the land port include mango drinks, litchi drinks, soft drinks, sweet toast, jelly, chocolate, Chocobin toffee, fried peas, cotton, rice bran fatty acid, and rice bran crude oil, among other local products.

Shamim Hasan, a representative of an exporting company at Hili, said that exports of local goods to India have resumed after a long time. 

"Now, we are exporting many products daily to India, where demand for Bangladeshi items is increasing rapidly," he said, adding that with more government facilities, exporters would be able to expand their shipments further.

He, however, pointed out that exports remain constrained as the one-way road does not allow simultaneous import and export operations. 

"Only a limited number of trucks can cross within a specific time, so widening the road is urgently needed," he added.

President of Hili C&F Agents Association and exporter Md. Ferdous Rahman said that not only drinks and bakery food items, there are also demand for Bangladeshi vegetables very high in India. "But we cannot export these items because there is no quarantine office on the Indian side of Hili, and this issue should be resolved quickly through bilateral discussions," he said. 

He urged the government to take initiatives to address these problems so that more exports can take place, boosting earnings of valuable foreign exchange for the country.