Imports through Burimari Land Port in Lalmonirhat district resumed yesterday after remaining suspended for around two weeks.
The traders and the clearing and forwarding agents suspended the import of goods on August 4, protesting the decision of National Board of Revenue.
The NBR issued the directive that all the goods entering through Burimari Port have to be unloaded in the customs yard first in presence of custom officials and later taken to the warehouse of clearing and forwarding agents.
However, C&F agents stood against the decision. They said the new system would increase their loading and unloading costs along with carriage.
Usually, trucks come in the Burimari zero line to unload imported goods, mostly boulders, limestone, coal, fly ash and fruits from two countries – India and Bhutan.
Earlier C&F agents were allowed to take the imported goods to their own warehouse after paying duties.
But the customs authorities took the decision as there were allegations that the traders do not reveal all import items due to lack of thorough check by the authorities.
Later on Friday, both parties came to a consensus that the earlier system would be followed from now on and the import will begin from Sunday. After the consensus was made, the traders started importing goods through the Burimari Land Port which mainly deals with products imported from Bhutan and India.
Burimari Land Port C&F Agents Association president Ruhul Amin Babul told the Dhaka Tribune they were protesting the decision as it leads to cost hike.
“We have to count additional cost if the NBR directive was implemented. We have written to the authorities and are glad that they realised the matter,” he said.
In the 12 days of suspension, several hundreds of goods-laden trucks remain stranded on the Indian side, officials said. As the port was open from Sunday, the trucks started to enter in Bangladesh side.
Till filing of the report at 6:30pm, trucks from India and Bhutan were entering in Bangladesh from the Indian side at Changrabandha of Mekhaliganj in West Bengal.
Confirming the matter, Burimari Land Port Customs Assistant Commissioner Billal Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune import activities became normal at the port from yesterday as traders resumed import.
“They (traders) suspended the import, but we were open every day. The export was normal, but as there were no import, the government had to count a huge amount of revenue loss,” he said.
