Export and import through the Benapole land port will gain pace once the long-awaited Padma Bridge is inaugurated. Goods will travel from the port to the capital Dhaka within a very short time, which will decrease the prices of almost every item, said Shamsur Rahman, President of Benapole C&F Agents Association. Around 80 per cent of raw materials needed for various industries including the readymade garments (RMG) sector is imported through the Benapole land port. The inauguration of the 6.15km-long double-decker bridge on June 25 and the subsequent launch of vehicular movement on June 26 will expand industrial production as well as the markets for different agro-products in the country’s southwestern region. Read: Padma Bridge lights up the night ahead of opening Currently, the government collects around Tk 6,000 crore as revenue from the Benapole Customs House per year, which will increase to Tk 10,000 crore due to the addition of the Padma Bridge to the existing communication network. Benapole Export-Import Association President Mohsin Milon said that a long-cherished dream of the Benapole port users is going to be fulfilled through the Padma Bridge’s coming into existence. “We thank Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for this much-needed gift to the business community of the southern Bangladesh. Businesspeople will be more motivated to expand their businesses as Padma Bridge will increase the ease of doing business and reduce the travel time between Dhaka to the southwestern part of the country,’ added Milon.