The interim Government of Bangladesh has decided to permanently close three land ports and suspend operations at another along the Bangladesh-India border, aiming to curb unnecessary public spending.
The decision was taken in principle at a Council of Advisers meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
According to the announcement, Chilahati Land Port in Nilphamari, Daulatganj Land Port in Chuadanga, and Tegamukh Land Port in Rangamati will be shut down, while activities at Balla Land Port in Habiganj will remain suspended until further notice.
Alam explained that many of these ports had been established due to political lobbying from border constituencies but never facilitated any real trade. “No commercial activity has taken place through these facilities, yet Government staff were being posted there, creating an unnecessary financial burden,” he said.
He noted that a Government committee had reviewed the issue and recommended shutting down the inactive ports to ease pressure on the national budget.
