Despite having huge prospects, two land ports of Chuadanga district remain neglected for years following their upgrade from customs stations.

Darshana Land Port and Daulatganj Land Port are situated in Damurhuda and Jibannagar upazila respectively, in the western part of the country.  

According to the Bangladesh Land Port Authority, Darshana and Daulatganj land customs stations were declared land ports on January 12, 2002, and July 31, 2013, respectively, to facilitate import and export with the neighbouring country India.

But these two land ports are still not operational several years later due to reluctance on the part of the authorities concerned.

At present import-export activities are partially done through the Darshana customs station by railway. Goods transport is still a far cry from the land port. 

Chuadanga district administration said the distance from Dhaka to Kolkata will be reduced by around 70 kilometres after the launching of these two land ports. These two land ports will also decrease the journey time with capital Dhaka by  2-3 hours compared to the Benapole Land Port.

If distance and time decrease, businessmen will transport their goods through these two ports. So, it will be easier, faster, and cheaper to import goods from India through this port.    

As a result, the government can earn more revenue compared to other land ports in the country.  

Proponents claim it will be possible to unload at least 200 trucks of goods daily through Darshana and Daulatganj Land Ports. As a result, these two ports will decrease financial losses to the importers due to traffic chaos at Benapole port by releasing pressure on it.

Yakub Hossain Malik, president of Chuadanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said if the two ports are made operational for trade, a new horizon will open in business in the district. 

“Businessmen from all over the country will come here to import goods from India and change the financial scenario of Chuadanga,” he said.

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Darshana land port is located on the Darshana border. Gede border under Krishnanagar subdivision of India’s West Bengal is situated opposite the port. The route of this port is the Darshana-Gede railway link and road.

The distance from Dhaka to Darshana land port is about 258 kilometres. This land port is well connected to Dhaka and other parts of the country by road and rail. So, once the port is launched, goods transportation will be easy through this port.  

Bangladesh Land Port Authority Chairman Md Alamgir visited Darshana Land Port on March 22, this year. After visiting the port, he briefed journalists saying Darshana port will get its full-fledged shape within the next two years. His organisation will take necessary measures for land acquisition and infrastructural development of the port.     

“Whenever we come here, we talk to the Indian land port authority. They want to know how much progress we have made to open the port. We received the approval letter of this port in 2004. Since then, we have closely been working taking opinions from both sides of India and Bangladesh,” he said.         

On December 13, 2021, Indian Land Port Authority Chairman and Border Management Secretary N N Sinha visited the Darshana-Gede area. His Bangladesh counterpart had also visited the spot at the same time. 

Later, a delegation led by National Board of Revenue (NBR) member Zakia Sultana studied the feasibility of 450 bighas land acquisition for the port. After completing the land acquisition process, all necessary port infrastructures including a truck terminal, rail yard shed, warehouse, and the residential area will be constructed.

Aminul Islam Khan, the deputy commissioner of Chuadanga, said, “Darshana Land Port is under process. We will inform concerned ministries in black and white to complete the rest of the works of the port.” 

Darshana is ready to be converted to a full-fledged land port, he added. 

According to the Bangladesh Land Port Authority, primarily, the Darshana customs station has been declared a rail route. But to launch the Darshana land port, it is necessary to declare the land route alongside the rail route. A request has been made to the NBR through the Ministry of Shipping in this regard. 

At present import-export activities are done through Land Customs Station (LCS) by railway.

Daulatganj Land Port s located on the Daulatganj border of the district. The Mazdia border under Nadia district of West Bengal, India is situated opposite this port. The route of this port is the Daulatganj-Mazdia road link.

The distance from Daulatganj Land Port to the capital Dhaka is 256 kilometres. 

Daulatganj-Mazdia Land Port was operational from 1953 to 1965 as a customs station. The activities of the station were closed due to the India-Pakistan war in 1965. After the Liberation War of Bangladesh, this customs house was re-launched in 1972, but later it was closed for an unknown reason. Later, NBR approved the import of 19 goods through this station from India.    

The Shipping Ministry published a gazette on July 31, 2013, declaring Daulatganj land customs station as a complete land port. 

In the same year Shahjahan Khan, the then shipping minister, had laid the foundation stone of the land port. K M Tariqul Islam, former chairman of Bangladesh Land Port Authority, visited the port on January 19, 2021.

During the visit, he said once this port is launched, businessmen will get benefits, and there will be employment creation for the local people.  

There are 24 land ports across the country. Out of these, only 12 land ports are operational. 

About 90 percent of the total international trade conducted by land in Bangladesh is done through Benapole port. To cut the pressure on the port and facilitate the import and export of goods by land with India, Bhutan and Nepal, the government launched new land ports and transformed custom stations into land stations.

Now 500-600 trucks carrying different goods enter Bangladesh through Benapole port. It takes 3 to 18 days to unload the goods, causing great financial losses to everyone concerned.