Due to India’s reduced tariff, international apparel retailers and brands that source from Bangladesh choose to ship their items from Delhi airport rather than Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
When commodities are transported in trucks from Bangladesh to Delhi via Benapole and Petrapole, a distance of approximately 1,900 kilometres, the rate at the country’s major airport keeps buyers competitive.
For instance, shipping one kilogramme of clothing from the HSIA to locations in Europe costs US $ 3. If the products are shipped via Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, there is a US $ 1.2 fee.
Users are primarily leaving Dhaka due to high prices, value-added tax, and ground handling and service fees at the HSIA.
At the airport, a 72 per cent surcharge is imposed for ground handling. If the fee is not paid on time, a 60 per cent fine is levied.
From the HSIA, 1,65,000 tonnes of cargo were exported, based on information from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, from July to March of the current fiscal year. Of the total, 30,000 tonnes were made up of fruits, vegetables, and other products, while 1,34,000 tonnes were clothing.
Approximately 1,67,000 tonnes of cargo were shipped overseas using the airport in 2022–2023. This comprised 24,000 tonnes of fruits, vegetables, and related food items in addition to 142,000 tonnes of apparel products.
According to aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam, rising taxes caused more than 8,000 tonnes of cargo—particularly those containing apparel—to be redirected from the HSIA to Delhi in the previous year.
“The volume is higher this year as buyers are increasingly finding Delhi airport more competitive for their business,” he said, adding that 50 tonnes of cargoes are redirected from the HSIA to Delhi every day on average.
Local airlines, freight forwarders, courier services, ground handlers, and numerous other associated industries are experiencing a decline in business due to the increased fees.
The Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association’s president, Kabir Ahmed, called the freight fee at the Dhaka airport “very high.” According to industry insiders, an airport may charge additional fees if it so chooses. When the volume of cargo increases, airlines in Dhaka likewise raise their prices. However, this surge is just momentary.
SM Mannan Kochi, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, doesn’t think exports will be affected if the Delhi airport imposes any additional charges on Bangladeshi goods. He did concede, though, that the expense of the operation would go up. This is because when local vendors ship goods under the freight-on-board agreement, international purchasers often pay the freight charges.
