Bangladesh’s Bhomra landport in Satkhira recorded strong export growth and higher government revenue in the 2024–25 fiscal year, even as imports declined slightly, underscoring improvements in trade value and revenue efficiency. However, the absence of a commissioner continues to limit the port’s ability to operate as a full-fledged customs house and realise its full potential.
According to officials at the Bhomra Land Customs Station, the port generated Taka 978.78 crore in revenue in FY ’25, up from Taka 907.59 crore a year earlier, marking a 7.84% increase. The rise came despite lower import volumes and reflected a shift towards higher-value imports and more efficient duty collection.
Exports through the landport rose 10.23% year on year to Taka 3,406.95 crore in FY ’25, compared with Taka 3,090.63 crore in FY ’24. A total of 286,130 tonnes of goods were exported using 22,937 trucks, highlighting the port’s growing role in cross-border trade with India.
At present, 23 categories of Bangladeshi goods are exported to India via Bhomra, including yarn and jute yarn, readymade garments, furniture, fishing and mosquito nets, handloom sarees, lungis, travel bags, juice, chips and litchis. Bangladesh also imports food items, construction materials, clothing and cosmetics from India through the same route.
Abu Musa, general secretary of the Bhomra C&F Agents Association, said the port’s proximity to Kolkata gave it a logistical advantage over other landports and continued to support growth in exports, imports and government revenue.
Despite being officially upgraded to a full customs house on 14th October, the post of commissioner remains vacant more than two months later. Industry representatives say this has stalled import diversification and broader operational expansion. Port activity has also been hit by a ban on rice imports and a sharp fall in container traffic.
Daily truck movement has dropped to around 150 vehicles from 250–300 earlier, leading to job losses among hundreds of port workers and financial stress for labourers and service providers.
Moniruzzaman Khan, assistant revenue officer (administration) at Bhomra Land Port, attributed part of the import decline to the ongoing shortage of foreign currency and said officials expected to recover some of the shortfall in the remaining months of the fiscal year.
C&F Agents Association president Md Abu Hasan stressed the urgent need for the appointment of a commissioner to stabilise and expand operations.
Addressing broader concerns, Bhomra Customs assistant director (house) Atikul Islam said infrastructure upgrades were already under way following the port’s elevation, including modern warehouses, open yards and separate terminals for Indian and Bangladeshi vehicles. He added that stakeholders believed prompt appointments and full operationalisation were essential to unlocking the port’s economic potential and meeting long-standing expectations of the trading community.
