A total of 593 metric tons of green chilies have been imported from India through Benapole over the past two days. On Tuesday evening, 10 metric tons and 956 kgs of green chilies were imported, while 581 metric tons and 970 kgs were brought in by Monday evening. According to Benapole Customs, 28 Bangladeshi importers brought in the green chilies from India on Monday at a total cost of approximately Tk 3.34 crore. The import price per ton was set at Tk 60,000, with an additional import duty of Tk 36,000 per ton, bringing the total cost to Tk 96 per kilogram. Trade through Benapole resumes after 5-day holiday Due to the Durga Puja holiday, the Benapole and Petrapole ports were closed for the past five days. Imports resumed on Monday as soon as the port operations were restored. The massive shipment of green chilies was delivered to importers after clearing customs duties at Benapole. Rabindra Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Benapole Customs, reported that a shipment of 10 metric tons and 956 kgs of green chilies arrived on a single truck on Tuesday evening. On Monday, 581 metric tons and 970 kgs of green chilies were imported on 50 trucks. The shipments were cleared quickly after the payment of duties.

Trade between Bangladesh and India through the Benapole land port resumed on Monday morning after a five-day closure marking Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of Hindus. Shamsur Rahman, president of the Benapole Clearing & Forwarding agent, said the land port again became vibrant with activities. Read more: 479 MT hilsa exported to India through Benapole Hundreds of Indian trucks carrying goods started entering the land port in the morning as those were stranded at the Indian end for the last five days, he said. Imtiaz Bhuiyan, Officer-in-Charge of Benapole Checkpost Immigration police, said the movement of passengers between the two countries with valid documents remained uninterrupted.

Bangladesh has so far exported 479 metric tonnes (MT) of hilsa to India marking Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community, through Benapole land port. The export started through the country's largest land port with 54.460 MT on September 26, and India has so far received 479 tonnes over the past 13 days. The government set a price of $10 equivalent to Tk 1, 180 for per kilogram of hilsa. Visiting local Benapole Fishery Market, this correspondent found per kilogram of hilsa weighing under one Kg was selling at TK 1, 300 and the Hilsa weighing over one Kg at Tk 1800-2000, Tk 600 to 800 more per kg compared to the export price. Read: 410 metric tons of hilsa exported to India via Benapole Land Port Asked about the low price of the exported hilsa, Mahbubur Rahman, an official at Fisheries Inspection and Quality Control Centre of Benapole land port, said the circular on hilsa export dates back a few years but now the export price of hilsa may be adjusted in line with the domestic market price. Masudur Rahman, revenue official at the Check-post Cargo Section of the land port, said seven trucks entered India carrying 22 MT of hilsa on Wednesday night. Read more: Bangladesh missing hilsa export target to India for Durga Puja since 2019 With this, India received 479MT of hilsa from Bangladesh through Benapole land port in 10 consignments since September 26, he said.

With four days left to end the deadline, Bangladesh has so far exported 459 metric tonnes (MT) of Hilsa to India marking the Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community across the world, through the Benapole land port. The export started through the country's largest land port with 54.460 tonnes on September 26, and India received 459 tonnes sent through the land port over the past 12 days. The government set a price of $10 equivalent to Tk 1, 180 per Kilogram of Hilsa. Read: 410 metric tons of hilsa exported to India via Benapole Land Port Asked about the low price of the exported Hilsa, Mahbubur Rahman, an official at Fisheries Inspection and Quality Control Centre of Benapole land port, said the circular on Hilsa export dates back a few years. Then the export price of Hilsa was fixed at $ 10 per kg in line with the market price of that time. Hilsa is still being exported according to the circular. However, the price of hilsa may be adjusted in line with the domestic market price, he said. Rashedul Sajib Nazir, deputy director of the land port, confirmed that they could export only 459 tonnes of Hilas since September 26. Read more: Bangladesh missing hilsa export target to India for Durga Puja since 2019 It may be mentioned a five day holiday centring Durga Puja will begin from Thursday and activities of the land port will remain suspended till after the end of the Puja.

Despite dollar shortage, preventing traders from opening letters of credit (LC) as needed, the Benapole Custom House exceeded its revenue target for the 2023-24 fiscal year by Tk 216 crore. The revenue target for Benapole Custom House in the 2023-24 fiscal year was Tk 5,948 crore. Actual revenue collected amounted to Tk 6,164.59 crore. According to Benapole Custom sources, the total import volume for the 2022-23 fiscal year was 1.445 million tons, which increased to 1.72178 million tons in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Read more: Bangladeshi injured in BSF firing along Benapole border Kamal Uddin Shimul, Vice President of the Benapole C&F Agents Association, attributed the initial revenue shortfall to global economic recession, rising dollar exchange rates, and the resulting reduction in LCs by commercial banks. However, higher imports of goods with elevated duty rates towards the end of the fiscal year led to increased revenue collection at Benapole Custom House. Importer Monir Hossain highlighted that many businesses could not open LCs due to banks increasing exchange rates amid the global recession and dollar shortage, significantly reducing imports through Benapole land port. Nonetheless, the government’s sudden increase in import duties on various goods boosted custom revenue. Abdul Hakim, Commissioner of Benapole Custom House, said that the increase in high-duty imports towards the end of the fiscal year, combined with the government’s raised duty rates, contributed to exceeding the revenue target. He emphasized the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy against tax evasion at the port, with a 200% penalty imposed on irregularities, which also boosted revenue. Additionally, imports for the government’s mega projects through Benapole further increased custom revenue. Read more: Export-import resumes through Benapole land port after Eid

Muslim devotees who attended the first phase of three-day Biswa Ijtema from neighbouring India have started returning home through Benapole land port in Jashore on Monday (February 05, 2024) morning. Sources at the port’s immigration office said that a huge number of devotees came to Bangladesh from several states of India to participate the Ijtema that ended on Sunday with Akheri Munajat on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi. Read: Two Ijtema attendees die in Tongi road accident The Indian devotees were seen standing in queues of Benapole’s Immigration customs to return home in the early morning. Benapole Immigration police station’s Officer-in-Charge (investigation) Shafiq Ahmed said there are additional officers so that the devotees face no hassles during departure from Bangladesh. Read more: Two Ijtema attendees die in Tongi road accident

A member of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) who sustained injuries after being shot by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Dhannokhola border under Benapole upazila of Jashore early Monday (January 22, 2024), succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in India, BGB said today (January 23, 2024). The deceased, Raisuddin, 35, was posted at the BGB-49 Battalion in Jashore, said a media release signed by Lt Col Md Jamil, commander of the 49 Battalion. According to the release, a patrol team of the paramilitary force challenged a gang of cattle smugglers when they were intruding into Bangladesh from India, adjacent to Jhelepara post area under the Benapole upazila, around 5:30 am on Monday. Read more: BGB distributes warm clothes among destitute people in St Martin's Island At one stage of the chase, the smugglers went back inside Indian territory, it reads, adding that BGB personnel Raisuddin got separated from the patrol team amid dense fog. Though initially he was not found, later it was known through several sources that he was injured in BSF firing and was undergoing treatment in an Indian hospital. Shortly after the incident, a bilateral flag meeting on commander-level was held between the BGB and the BSF, according to the release. He died while undergoing treatment in the hospital, it was confirmed. The BGB demanded proper investigation into the incident and sent a protest note to their Indian counterparts, the press release reads. Process is underway to bring the BGB personnel’s body back home soon, it added. Read more: BGB's seized contraband in Dec 2023 worth over Tk 266 crore

The first shipment of eggs from India has arrived in Bangladesh. The price of an egg including duty is to Tk7.23. This egg imported from India entered Bangladesh through Benapole land port, Jessore in a truck on Monday (November 06, 2023). The government issued import permits for 1.0 crore pieces. In the first shipment, one private trader imported 61,950. After being processed at the land port, the truck left the Benapole land port around 10 pm last night (Sunday). Also read: Govt-fixed prices of onions, potatoes and eggs not executed yet According to Benapole Land Port Authority and Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agent sources, Dhaka's BDS Corporation imported 61950 eggs in an Indian cargo truck as its first shipment after the Ministry of Commerce gave permission to import eggs. The import price of an egg is estimated at Tk 5.43, on which duty is charged at Tk1.8 per egg. Also read: Imported eggs to be available in market this week: Tipu Munshi Director (Traffic) of Benapole land port Rezaul Karim said that the first consignment of eggs arrived from India in a truck yesterday (Sunday) evening. The eggs left the port around 10 pm when they were transferred from the Indian truck to the Bangladeshi truck. Syed Mahidul Haque, representative of C&F agent ME Enterprises of the egg importer, said transport costs will be added to this, he said. Also read: Govt to import 5 crore more eggs

Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) recovered eight gold bars worth Tk 75 lakh  from the border area in Benapole early Saturday. Lieutenant Colonel Moahmmad Tanvir Rahman, commandant of the BGB-21 Khulna battalion, said tipped-off they conducted a drive along the Patukhali border with India around 1am. Sensing presence of the BGB members, the smugglers fled the scene abandoning a bag wrapped with a black cloth in Sajaler Morr area, he said.     Eight gold bars weighing around 938 grams were found inside the bag. BGB has so far recovered 66 kilograms of gold in 23 drives in  last 13  months and arrested 23 people in these connections.  

A consignment of 3800 metric tonnes of lentils has arrived at the Benapole port from neighboring India ahead of fasting month of Ramadan on Thursday night.Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) imported the lentils at $1,136.13 per metric tonne. C&F agent 'Confidence Trade Associate' presented necessary documents at the Benapole Customs House regarding these lentils imports. Murtaza Sharif, C&F agent 'Confidence Trade Associate' Manager, said that the government planned to import 4000 metric tonnes of lentils from India of which 3800 metric tonnes of lentils arrived on Thursday night. Read more: Foreign cigarettes, liquor seized from ‘Bandhan Express’ train in Benapole The remaining 200 tonnes of lentils will arrive very soon, he added. The lentils have been imported at Tk125 per kg, and are set to be distributed across the country with fast clearance from the port, said the manager. Customs Commissioner Abdul Hakim said direction has been given at field level to discharge the lentils consignment soon. Benapole Port Director Abdul Jalil said that they are cooperating to clear these pulses from the port and to dispatch the items to different destinations in the country.