Link online system at Petrapole port and customs not working, goods jam is severe

POBNEWS24 Dhaka April 5, 2025 : Bangladesh’s goods imports are being disrupted due to the link online system at Petrapole port and customs not working. It is affecting revenue. Goods jam has occurred at Petrapole port. This situation has been going on for the last three days.
More than 1,000 trucks are waiting to enter Benapole port at Petrapole port.
No imported goods truck entered Benapole port in Bangladesh from Monday morning to 1 pm. Only 36 trucks of raw materials were imported throughout the day on Sunday due to the link online system at Petrapole customs not working. Earlier, 150 trucks carrying imported goods entered Benapole port throughout the day on Saturday. However, export trade through Benapole is normal.
Kartik Chakraborty, general secretary of the Petrapole Clearing and Forwarding Agent Staff Welfare Association in India, said that the link service at Petrapole Customs and Port is provided by Tata Company. Recently, a link problem arose after a storm in the afternoon. Tata’s Kolkata office could not resolve the problem. Now the DG of Delhi is monitoring the system. The Customs and Port Authority is releasing some goods manually as an alternative to the online system, he said.
President of the Benapole C&F Agent Staff Association, Mujibur Rahman, told this correspondent that usually about 400 trucks of goods are imported every day. Only 36 trucks were imported and 111 trucks of goods were exported throughout the day on Sunday. After April 28, the import and export of goods are much less than normal. Due to this, many industrial factories in Bangladesh have faced a shortage of raw materials.
Director of Benapole Port, Shamim Hossain, said, “We are always talking to Petrapole Port. They say the problem will be resolved soon. It is hoped that this link problem will be resolved in a day or two.” Due to their lack of links, imports and exports from India to Bangladesh are being slightly disrupted.