Poor infrastructure hampers trade

Burimari, the country’s second-largest land port, has been facing space constraints, traffic congestion, and a lack of infrastructure since long, ultimately hampering trade with the neighbouring countries of India, Bhutan, and Nepal.

The land port’s capacity has not expanded in line with increasing trade volume, said sources concerned.

The land port, located in the Lalmonirhat district, has become an important route for South Asian nations’ regional connectivity and business, contributing to the development of the national economy.

But the full potential of the land port is still untapped due to existing problems like space shortage and traffic congestion.

According to the Bangladesh Land Port Authority (BLPA), the port was established on 11.15 acres of land in 1988 and went on full-fledged operations in 2010.

Around 500 trucks enter the port from India and Bhutan with imported goods while 60-70 Bangladeshi trucks carry goods for the neighbouring countries every day.

Around 8000 passengers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan use the land port every day for their entrance and exit point.

In 2015-2016, around 13.36 lakh tonnes of goods were imported through the port which rose to 46.13 lakh tonnes in FY21.

The land port authorities earned Tk 63.92 crore in the fiscal year 2021-22, and Tk 66.75 crore in the fiscal year 2020-21, up from Tk 47.64 crore a year ago, said Mahabub Hasan, inspector of the BLPA at the port.

“The customs authorities generated Tk 91.50 crore revenue in the last fiscal year, Tk 111 crore in the 2020-21 fiscal year, doubling from Tk 57 crore in 2019-20,” said Samir Kanto Majumdar, assistant revenue officer, Customs,  Excise and Vat Commissionerate of Burimari Land Port.  

The customs officials said the earnings slightly dropped in the last fiscal year due to the impact of Covid pandemic.  The revenue collection is expected to increase in the current fiscal year.

Hira Lal, an Indian truck driver who brought imported goods to the port, said they have to stand in a long queue in the open stockyard even for two to four days to unload the goods.

“This causes traffic jam inside the yard. If the land port is expanded, the congestion will decrease,” he added.

“Traffic congestion has become a major problem in the port. The businessmen cannot unload the imported products on time which is a waste of time and money,” said Rokonuzzaman Rasel, a Rangpur-based importer and exporter.

He said trade and commerce have been badly hampered due to the space crisis in the port.

He has LC business with the traders of India.  He imports stone, animal food, and onion through the land port. “I have to pay additional carrying costs often to Indian businessmen for the delay in unloading goods.”

Businesses through the land port have increased over the years but its handling capacity has not increased comparatively.  

He urged the authorities to take pragmatic steps for increasing the capacity of the port.

Sayeduzzaman Saeed, president of the Burimari Land Port C&F Agents Association, said the port has three sheds with a combined capacity to accommodate 1,768 tonnes of goods and three open yards with a total capacity of 6,203 tonnes which is not enough to handle the increasing volume of business.”

“The neighbouring countries’ businessmen are keen to expand business through the port. So, it has become indispensable to increase the space and infrastructure of the land port to overcome the existing crisis.’’

Ruhul Amin Babul, president of the importer-exporter group at the port, said, “The port is an important route for connectivity and trade and commerce. It has huge potential for expanding Bangladesh-India-Bhutan trade to develop the regional economy. Traders are interested to do business using the route as goods can be imported through the port at a lower cost. The port will become a commercial hub if the existing crises are resolved.”

Observing that the government earns huge revenue in every fiscal year from the port, he urged the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to smoothen trade and commerce through the port.  

The port has been playing a significant role in the economic development of the region since its establishment in 1988. Earlier, the poverty rate among the people was high in the region. The situation has changed a lot after the opening of the port, Babul noted.

Billal Hossain, the deputy commissioner of Burimari Land Port and Customs Station, said, “The port has great importance for developing regional connectivity and business.  Revenue earnings through the port have been increasing every year.  The BLPA has started working on the upgradation of the port to boost up trade extensively with Bhutan, India, and Nepal.”

Gias Uddin, assistant director of the BLPA at the port, said the government has made a plan to acquire 23.86 acres of land aiming to expand the capacity of the port. A project, titled “Bangladesh Bhutan India and Nepal (BBIN) Regional Transport and Trade Facilitation Programme: Bangladesh Phase-1” has been undertaken for the development of the port.

Implementation of the project, scheduled to end in June 2026, started in July 2022. The project will bring about huge infrastructure development to facilitate the smooth movement of goods, transports, and passengers between the countries through the land port.