Import through Benapole declines

There has been a marked decline in import through Bangladesh's largest land port, Benapole, during the last financial year.

Stakeholders offer many reasons for this happening -- volatile political situation before the last national polls, a slowdown in business, bumper harvest last year, regular theft of goods, harassment by Customs officials, high bank interest rates for the slump.

In the 2013-14 fiscal, the import dropped by over 200,000 metric tonnes.

Customs officials primarily blame political instability before the Jan 5 polls for the drop.

But traders say they are avoiding imports as business is not yet buoyant despite a stable political situation.

Jessore Chamber of Commerce (JCC) chief Mizanur Rahman Khan believes high bank interest rate is also playing a role in the decline of imports.

"Many importers have left Benapole for a number of reasons while others are importing less due to business slowdown," he said.

However, JCC director Humayun Kabir believes otherwise.

"A bumper harvest this year meant there was no need to import agricultural products. This is the reason for the drop in imports," he said.

Traders want swift handling as they have to pay extra duty in case of delay, explained Mohasin Milon, joint secretary of a Benapole-based import-export organisation.

He believes the usual delay in clearing goods at the port is the main reason behind traders leaving Benapole.

But Benapole Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agent (C&F) association's Nuruzzaman sees the Customs department's 'harassment' as the main cause.

"Recurrent strikes, blockades, workers' agitation are threatening the port," he said. "We, the C&F traders, are suffering huge losses and expect a sympathetic Customs.

"The importers will leave if the harassment continues."

However, Benapole Customs Joint Commissioner Faizur Rahman refuted the allegations and blamed the drop in imports on political instability during November 2013 to January this year.

He argued that industries in Bangladesh had met a lot of local demands which in turn discouraged traders to import Indian goods in the 2013-14 financial year.

The port's deputy Director (traffic) Abdul Jalil said incidents of theft have come down in recent time.

"There's a syndicate here which has people from the C&F agents. The [C&F agents] go on strike if we detain them.

"We have nothing to do if goods are stolen from outside the port.

"No matter where the theft takes place, the importers suffer. That's why we have been vigilant to prevent theft," he told bdnews24.com.