The country's biggest land port, Benapole Port, is on the path to full automation.
According to port authorities, the port area will be equipped with automated machines, CCTV cameras, and a boundary wall at an estimated cost of Tk52 crore.
The installation of all necessary electronic devices is going smoothly, they added.
Benapole Customs House Commissioner Belal Hossain Chowdhury said: "There are plans to install 1,400 CCTV cameras, to ensure foolproof security in the port area.”
“Trade between Bangladesh and India will multiply as a result of this initiative, as the checking and discharging of goods will be easier and faster once the port area is digitized,” he added.
Benapole Port Director Prodush Kanti Das said: "Two Clearing & Forwarding (C&F) Agents will be provided with high-level training from the beginning of 2019, so that they can handle the automated movement of goods easily and effectively.”
Prodush also said traders of both India and Bangladesh will be able to keep an eye on their goods passing through the border without being physically present at the port, thanks to remote tracking facilities.
Although the custom houses were brought under CCTV monitoring earlier this year, the whole port will come under CCTV surveillance with implementation of the plan. This will help prevent incidents of smuggling, as well as the detection of illegal border crossings.
Benapole Port C&F Agents Vice-President Aminul Haque said: "We are relieved to hear of the automation project, as this will boost trade volume by ensuring smooth and hassle-free transportation of goods through the border."
Chairman of India-Bangladesh Export-Import Sub-Committee Matiar Rahman said: “Traders have long been demanding foolproof security for their goods through automation of the port area, in order to augment trade for both countries."
"There are still some drawbacks to be addressed to harness the potential of the port, and the port authority should deal with those on the basis of priority," he added.
It takes only three hours for a truck to reach Benapole after loading goods from Kolkata, which is 84 kilometres away, making it a major transportation hub for the business communities of both India and Bangladesh.
