Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested the Indian government to expedite and facilitate Bangladeshi’s export-import trade through Bangaon-Benapole land port.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan wrote a letter to Indian High Commission in Dhaka Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Wednesday in this regard.

"We earnestly request you to kindly take up the issue with concerned authorities of your country and resolve the problem at your earliest to expedite the bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh, which is extremely important for our RMG sector," the letter reads.

Faruque said Bangladeshi’s apparel exporters are importing substantial volume of raw materials from India and the transit time from India to Bangladesh is critical.

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Recently, he said, they are facing lots of delays in transit of imported goods from India.

"We are hearing from the Forwarders and Clearing agents in Benapole that the scrutiny/security measures and lack of manpower for export of goods at Indian customs point particularly Bangaon are facing long delays and the transit time is getting very long for the trucks to cross the Bangaon-Benapole boarder," he said.

Due to this, Faruque said, many trucks laden import & export goods are stuck at Indian points which is hampering import & export business with India and impacting the transit time of raw materials for RMG factories in Bangladesh.

"We have confidence that you can use your good office to solve this problem at Indian Customs point to expedite the smooth flow of goods from India, and thereby further facilitate the bilateral trade growth," the BGMEA president wrote.

The global trade is facing very tough time due to corona pandemic, the entire supply chain of RMG sector is working on a very tight Time & Action (T&A) Calendar, the BGMEA chief said.

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The export trade of Bangladesh’s ready-made garments is also facing same problem, he said.

Local entrepreneurs have been trying their utmost to turn around from this situation with the help of the government and all the players involved in supply chain operation.

The BGMEA chief said RMG sector of Bangladesh is facing challenge to meet up the lead time given by foreign buyers to export apparels in the middle of pandemic and locked down situation.

"Foreign buyers are insisting on shortest possible lead time and deadline to export the manufactured apparels. Due to shortest possible T&A, Bangladesh manufacture depends on shortest possible production time and transit time from the raw material supplying entities countries," he said.